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. 2021 Jun 9;476(10):3785–3814. doi: 10.1007/s11010-021-04201-6

Table 6.

In vivo animal studies on antidiabetic and cardioprotective effects of turmeric and turmeric-derived bioactive compounds

Disease/condition Model Treatment Dose, administration manner; duration Main outcomes Reference
Diabetes
 Glycemic response KK-Ay mice/Ta mice Turmeric extract (ethanol)

0.2–1.0 g/100 g diet,

ad libitum; 4 weeks

[Dose-dependent]

⬇ Blood glucose

 [101]
 Glycemic response KK-Ay mice/Ta mice

Turmeric extracts

(ethanol: E-ext;

hexane: H-ext;

ethanol extraction from hexane extraction residue: HE-ext)

H-ext or HE-ext:

0.1–0.5 g/100 g diet

E-ext:

0.2–1.0 g/100 g diet;

4 weeks

⬇ Blood glucose

(H-ext and HE-ext at 0.5 g/100 g diet; E-ext at 0.2 and 1.0 g/100 g diet)

 [102]
 Glycemic response Alloxan-induced diabetic mice C. longa extract (ethanol:water = 70:30 v/v)

5–15 mg kg−1, i.p.;

before alloxan i.p

[Dose-dependent]

⬇ Blood glucose

 [103]
 T2D-assocaited liver complications Wild-type and db/db mice Curcumin

0.75% w/w in diet,

ad libitum; 8 weeks

⬇ NF-κB p65 expression;

⬆ AMPK and PPAR-γ expressions

 [104]
 Glucose tolerance and GLP-1 secretion Sprague–Dawley rats Theracurcumin 5 mg kg−1 (= 1.5 mg kg−1 curcumin equivalent), p.o.; before glucose i.p

⬇ Serum glucose concentration

(effect diminished by GW1100);

⬆ Serum levels of:

insulin,

total & active GLP-1

 [31]
 High-fat diet-induced obesity and SREBP pathway C57BL/6 mice Curcumin

40–80 mg kg−1 day−1

in high-fat diet (HFD),

p.o.;

12 weeks

⬆ Energy expenditure;

⬇ Body weight gain;

⬇ Serum TC, TG and LDL-c;

⬇ Hepatic TC and TG;

⬇ Lipid droplets accumulation in liver

[High dose (80 mg kg−1)]

⬇ Epididymal fat weigh and adipocyte diameter in white adipose tissue;

⬇ Blood glucose;

⬇ Serum insulin;

⬇ Hepatic expression of:

SREBP-1, SREBP-2;

⬆ Tyrosine phosphorylation of:

IRS-1, IRS-2;

⬆ Serine 473 phosphorylation of Akt

 [107]
CVD
 Atherosclerosis ApoE–/– mice Curcumin

0.1% w/w in HFD, p.o.;

16 weeks

⬇ Macrophage infiltration and TLR4 expression in atherosclerosis plaque;

⬇ Aortic NF-κB activation;

⬇ VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 expressions;

⬇ Serum IL-1β and TNF-α levels;

⬇ Aortic sinus plaque area

 [27]
 Atherosclerosis ApoE–/– mice Curcumin

20 mg kg−1 day−1, p.o.;

4 weeks

⬇ Atherosclerotic lesion area in aortic roots;

⬇ Serum levels of:

IL-6, TNF-α, MCP-1, TC, TG, non-HDL-c;

⬆ Serum HDL-c;

⬆ Aortic ABCA1 level;

⬇ Aortic SR-A level

 [28]
 Atherosclerosis ApoE–/– mice Curcumin

0.2% w/w in diet, p.o.;

4 months

⬇ Atherosclerotic lesion size;

⬇ Macrophage number in atherosclerotic lesions;

⬆ Aortic IκB expression;

Modulated 1,670 genes expression in aorta (1,022 ⬆, 648 ⬇)

 [123]
 Lipid accumulation in macrophage LDL receptor knockout (LDL-R–/–) mice Curcumin

500–1500 mg kg−1 HFD, p.o.;

4 months

⬇ Lipid accumulation in peritoneal macrophages;

⬇ mRNA expressions of:

aP2, ABCA1

(all otherwise ⬆ by HFD.)

 [125]
 Altered gene expression in MI Sprague–Dawley rats Curcumin

75 mg kg−1 day−1, p.o.;

3 days

⬆ Cardiac function;

⬇ Cardiac infarct size;

⬇ LDH and CK-MB activities

Altered expression of genes in particular the one involved in cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction, JAK/STAT pathway, ECM-receptor interaction

 [127]
 Cardiac ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury Sprague–Dawley rats Curcumin

10–30 mg kg−1 day−1, p.o.;

20 days before I/R injury

[Dose-dependent]

⬆ Cardiac function;

⬇ Cardiac infarction size;

⬇ Myocardial MDA level;

⬆ Myocardial SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, GR activities;

⬇ Myocardial LDH, CK-MB activities;

⬇ Myocardial Bax and Caspase-3;

⬆ Myocardial Bcl-2 level;

⬆ JAK2 and STAT3 phosphorylation

 [25]
 Cardiac I/R injury Sprague–Dawley rats Curcumin

300 mg kg−1 day−1,

p.o.;

7 days before and 14 days after I/R injury

⬇ TLR2 mRNA and protein expressions;

⬇ Macrophage infiltration (CD68);

⬇ cardiac fibrosis (otherwise ⬆ by I/R);

⬆ Cardiac contractility;

⬆ Cardiac function parameters

(otherwise ⬇ by I/R.)

 [130]
 Cardiomyocyte apoptosis Sprague–Dawley rats Curcumin

150 mg kg−1 day−1,

p.o.;

4 weeks

⬇ Morphological changes and apoptosis index of myocardial cells;

⬇ NF-κB p65 expression;

⬆ PPAR-γ and Bcl-2 expressions

 [128]
 Cardiomyocyte apoptosis C57BL/6 mice Curcumin

50 mg kg−1 day−1,

p.o.;

4 weeks

⬇ Myocardial infarct size;

⬆ LDH release;

⬆ miR-7a and miR-7b levels;

⬇ SP1 mRNA and protein levels

 [129]
 MI and cardiac fibrosis C57BL/6 J mice Curcumin

100 mg kg−1 day−1,

p.o.;

4 weeks

⬇ Interstitial fibrosis;

⬇ Myocardial expressions of:

collagen I, collagen III, TGF-β1;

⬇ Infarct size; (otherwise ⬆ by MI)

⬆ SIRT1 in heart tissues

(otherwise ⬇ by MI)

 [133]
 Hypertension- and MI-induced heart failure

Salt-sensitive/resistant Dahl (DS/DR) rats,

MI rats

 Curcumin

50 mg kg−1 day−1,

p.o.;

7 weeks

In DS rats:

⬇ Hypertension-induced heart failure;

⬇ GATA4 acetylation;

⬇ p300/GATA4 complex

In MI rats:

Prevented MI-deteriorated left ventricular systolic function

 [136]