Chemistry:Curcuminoid

From HandWiki
Short description: Class of chemical compounds
Demethoxycurcumin

A curcuminoid is a linear diarylheptanoid, a relatively small class of plant secondary metabolites that includes curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin, all isolated from turmeric (curcuma longa). These compounds are natural phenols and produce a pronounced yellow color that is often used to color foods and medicines. Curcumin is obtained from the root of turmeric.

Curcuminoids are soluble in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), acetone and ethanol,[1] but are poorly soluble in lipids. It is possible to increase curcuminoid solubility in aqueous phase with surfactants or co-surfactants.[2] Most common derivatives have different substituents on the phenyl groups.[1] There is an increasing demand for demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, and other curcuminoids because of their biological activity.[2]

Cyclodextrins

Curcuminoids form a more stable complex with solutions which contain cyclodextrin towards hydrolytic degradations.[3] The stability differs between size and characterization of the cyclodextrins that are used. Dissolution of demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin and curcumin are greatest in the hydroxypropyl-γ-cyclodextrin (HPγCD) cavity. The curcuminoids which have a substituent connected to the phenyl groups show more affinity for the HPγCD compound. Degradation rate is depended on pH of the solution and how much protection the cyclodextrins provide the curcuminoids. The derivatives are usually more stable than curcumin against hydrolysis in cyclodextrin solution. No covalent bonds are present between the cyclodextrins and the curcuminoids so they are easily released from the complex by simple solvent effects.[1]

Composition and production

The curcumin derivatives demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin may have antioxidant activities useful in maintaining shelf-life of food products.[2] Pure chemicals of curcumin and its derivatives are not available in the open market. Commercially available curcumin contains 77% curcumin, 17% demethoxycurcumin and 3% bisdemethoxycurcumin from the herb Curcuma longa.[2]

Curcumin is mainly produced in industry as a pigment by using turmeric oleoresin as the starting material which curcuminoids can be isolated from. After the isolation of the curcuminoids, the extract which is about 75% liquor mainly contains oil, resin and more curcuminoids which can be isolated further.[2]

Research

Laboratory and clinical studies have not confirmed any medical use for curcumin, which is difficult to study because it is both unstable and poorly bioavailable, and is unlikely to produce useful lead compounds for drug development. Curcumin, which shows positive results in most drug discovery assays, is regarded as a false lead that medicinal chemists include among "pan-assay interference compounds". This attracts undue experimental attention while failing to advance as viable therapeutic or drug leads.[4][5][6]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Formulation and characterization of curcuminoids loaded solid lipid nanoparticles". Int J Pharm 337 (1–2): 299–306. June 2007. doi:10.1016/j.ijpharm.2006.12.043. PMID 17287099. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Antioxidant activities of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin". Food Chemistry 98 (4): 720–4. 2006. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.06.037. 
  3. Tønnesen, H; Mássonb, M; Loftsson, T (September 2002). "Studies of curcumin and curcuminoids. XXVII. Cyclodextrin complexation: solubility, chemical and photochemical stabilit". International Journal of Pharmaceutics 244 (1–2): 127–135. doi:10.1016/S0378-5173(02)00323-X. 
  4. "The Essential Medicinal Chemistry of Curcumin". Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 60 (5): 1620–1637. March 2017. doi:10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b00975. PMID 28074653. 
    See also: "Curcumin May (Not) Defy Science". ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters 8 (5): 467–470. May 2017. doi:10.1021/acsmedchemlett.7b00139. PMID 28523093. 
  5. "Deceptive curcumin offers cautionary tale for chemists". Nature 541 (7636): 144–145. January 2017. doi:10.1038/541144a. PMID 28079090. Bibcode2017Natur.541..144B. 
  6. "Can Invalid Bioactives Undermine Natural Product-Based Drug Discovery?". Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 59 (5): 1671–90. March 2016. doi:10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b01009. PMID 26505758.