Curcumin ointment

Several clinical trails are reported with curcumin in cancer patients around the world. Some of our recent review [Anand et al., 2008 Goel et al., 2007 Kunnumakkara et al., 2008] gives a detailed description of the clinical trials with curcumin, which are summarized in Table 16.2. An early clinical trial evaluated the effectiveness of topical application of a curcumin ointment in patients with external cancerous lesions. Patients with cancers of oral cavity (37 patients), breast (7 patients), vulva (4 patients), skin (3 patients), and miscellaneous unspecified sites (11 patients) were enrolled in this study. Remarkable symptomatic relief was observed in this study with the reduction in smell in 90% of the cases, reduction in itching in almost all cases, and reduction in exudates in 70% of cases. Reduction in lesion size and pain was observed in about 10% of the cases and only one melanoma (scalp) patient showed an adverse effect of local itching, which may be due to the allergic reaction to curcumin. 

Turmeric. Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a member of the ginger family and has traditionally been used as a spice that adds flavor and color to mustard and curry powder. It comes from India and southern Asia, where the stalk of the plant is scalded, dried, and made into a powder, tablet, capsule, ointment, cream, lotion, or tea. The best-characterized ingredient of turmeric is a substance called curcumin. Curcumin is an antioxidant that also causes certain cells in the body to release steroids such as cortisol, which help fight inflammation... 

Essential oils have also been shown to be useful as anti-inflammatory agents. The anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities of Ocimum sanctum fixed oil have been evaluated recently [220]. The results reported are consistent with the folk medicine use of different parts of this plant for the treatment of acute and chronic inflammation. The results of an investigation on the anti-inflammatory activities of flavonoids of Baphia nitida, another plant used in folk medicine, were recently reported [221]. The flavo no id-rich fraction of the leaf, obtained by a chromatographic process, was formulated into an ointment and exhibited significant antiinflammatory activity in several rodent inflammation models. The inhibition of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-a) and interleukin-1(3 (IL-1), mediators in many acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, by curcumin (111), a phytochemical isolated from the plant Curcuma longa Linn, was recently reported [222]. This report shows that, in vitro, curcumin (111), at 5 (J.M, inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of TNF-a and IL-1 by a human monocytic macrophage cell line. 

Kuttan et al. used an ethanol extract of turmeric as well as an ointment of curcumin and showed that it produces remarkable symptomatic relief in patients with external cancerous lesions. Reduction in smell were noted in 90% of the cases and reduction in itching in almost all cases. Dry lesions were observed in 70% of the cases, and a small number of patients (10%) had a reduction in lesion size and pain. In many patients, the effect continued for several months. An adverse reaction was noticed in only 1 of the 62 patients evaluated. 

Kumkum, a turmeric-based paste applied topically, has been associated with cases of dermatitis (Nath and Thappa 2007). Cases of contact urticaria from the compounds curcumin and tetrahydrocurcumin have been reported (Fischer and Agner 2004 Lamb and Wilkinson 2003 Liddle et al. 2006 Thompson and Tan 2006). Contact dermatitis with positive patch test for turmeric was reported in a spice shop worker routinely exposed to spice powders (Goh and Ng 1987). Similarly, contact dermatitis was reported in a pasta factory worker exposed to curcumin food coloring (Kiec-Swierczynska and Krecisz 1998). Two cases of contact dermatitis were reported in individuals using a topical ointment containing turmeric. Patch testing of both individuals indicated a sensitivity to both turmeric and curcumin (Hata et al. 1997 Sakurane et al. 1999). 

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See also in sourсe #XX -- [ ]

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