Table 2.

Effects of curcumin on inflammation in obesity: in vivo and in vitro studies.

Animal Model	Diet	Duration	Outcome	References
Male C57BL/6 mice Wild-type and ob/ob	Standard diet (4% fat) ± curcumin 3% by weight HFD (35% fat) ± curcumin 3% by weight (n = 5/group)	6-weeks	in adipose tissue ↑Foxo1 and adiponectin expression ↓infiltration of macrophages ↑circulating Adiponectin levels ↓MCP-1. ↓TNFα, MCP-1 expression, and NF-κB activity in liver	[72]
Male Sprague Dawley rats	Standard diet (control) HFD HFD + curcumin (80 mg/kg/day) (n = 11/group)	60 days 75 days	↓FFA and TNFα serum levels in all group compared to non-treated HFD groups	[73]
Male C57BL/6J mice	Low-fat diet (10% Kcal from fat) HFD (45% Kcal from fat) HFD + curcumin (4 g/kg diet) (n = 12/group)	28 weeks	in adipose tissue ↓macrophage infiltration ↓NF-κB expression and JNK signaling pathway activation	[74]
Male C57BL/6J mice	Standard Diet (control) HFD HFD + Curcuma-P® (0.1% curcumin + 0.01% white pepper) (n = 8/group)	4 weeks	↓IL-6 and TNFα, no changes in MCP1, IL-1β, CD68, and F4/80 in adipose tissue	[75]
Male C57BL/6 mice	HFD HFD + curcumin (50 mg/kg) (n = 6/group)	10 days	↓ER stress in adipose tissue ↓FFA release from adipose tissue	[79]
Male Wistar rats	Standard diet (control) HFD HFD + curcuminoid (30, 60, 90 mg\Kg body weigth\day) (n = 12/group)	12 weeks	↓FFA plasma levels	[80]
Cell type
Raw 264.7 macrophages treated with conditioned medium by mesenteric adipose tissue 3T3-L1 adipocytes	0.1–1–10 µM curcumin 10 µM curcumin	24 h	↓TNFα and MCP-1 release ↓MCP-1 release	[86]
3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with TNF-α	2–20 μM curcumin	62 h	↓NF-κB activation. ↓TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6, expression ↓IL-6 secretion	[81]
3T3-L1 adipocytes 24-h hypoxia	5, 10, 20 mM curcumin	24 h	↓TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6 release	[82]
THP-1 macrophages treated with PMA	6.25, 12.5, 25 μM curcumin	24 h	↓NLRP3 inflammasome expression, caspase-1 activation, IL-1β secretion, TLR4 expression, and NF-κB activation	[87]
Mouse, bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) treated with nigericin (10 mM) THP-1 cells treated with LPS	30–50 μM curcumin 30–50 μM curcumin	1 h	↓caspase-1 cleavage ↓IL-1β secretion ↓caspase-1 activation ↓IL-1β secretion	[88]

Abbreviations: ↑ Increases; ↓ Decreases; IL-6, interleukin-6; IL-1β, interleukin-1β; MCP-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1; TNFα, tumor necrosis factor α; FFA, free fatty acids; HFD, high-fat diet; ER, endoplasmic reticulum; LPS, lipopolysaccharides; PMA, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate; Foxo1, forkhead transcription factor 1; NF-κB, nuclear transcriptor factor kappa B; JNK, jun N-terminal kinase; TLR4, toll-like receptor 4; NLRP3, nod-like receptor pyrin domain-containing 3.