Turmeric's Gut Health Power Revealed: Study Shows Remarkable Increase In Beneficial Bacteria
In a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Western Sao Paulo (UNOESTE) and Sao Paulo State University, a solution containing curcumin, the primary compound found in turmeric, was found to enhance beneficial bacteria in the guts of mice. The study revealed that mice treated with the curcumin solution showed approximately 25% higher abundance of Lactobacillus bacteria compared to the control group. Lactobacillus is a commonly found probiotic in foods like yogurt.
The solution was an emulsion containing nanometric particles, or a nano-emulsion, of curcumin, known to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The researchers said they developed this nano emulsion to enhance the efficacy of curcumin in treating patients with inflammation of the digestive tract and gut.?
?While curcumin has gained prominence in treatments to combat inflammatory intestinal disorders, its bioavailability ¡ª amount reaching the site of physiological activity ¡ª is low when administered orally and even lower in patients with inflammatory conditions such as Crohn¡¯s disease, ulcerative colitis and others, they said.?
?¡°The research comprised two stages. The first entailed producing a nano emulsion to deliver the curcumin. In the second, we evaluated its stability, morphology and physicochemical properties,¡± said Lizziane Kretli Winkelstr?ter Eller, a professor at UNOESTE and the last author of the study published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics.?
improving the bioavailability of curcumin??
The researchers induced intestinal inflammation in mice using the drug indomethacin and administered the curcumin Nano emulsion orally for 14 days.Analysing intestinal inflammation at the end of this period, the team found that after the drug caused damage, the Nano emulsion changed the gut microbiota of mice by enhancing the presence of beneficial bacteria along with ¡°effectively¡± improving the bioavailability of curcumin.?
?¡°The nano emulsion didn¡¯t lead to a significant improvement in the intestinal inflammation but the relative abundance of Lactobacillus bacteria was about 25 per cent higher in the mice treated with curcumin nano emulsion than in the control group,¡± said Eller.?
The study authors stressed the importance of developing novel formulations to enhance the efficacy of curcumin in preventing and treating inflammatory bowel disease, given that the compound has proved as a valid alternative to existing treatments which are expensive and produce significant side effects.The team is continuing the research on the potential of nano formulations to deliver nutraceuticals ¡ª food elements of plant or animal origin with significant health benefits.
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