Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026
10:15
Labeling and Imaging of Amyloid Plaques in Brain Tissue Using the Natural Polyphenol Curcumin
Published on: November 1, 2019
Optimized turmeric extracts have potent anti-amyloidogenic effects
R Douglas Shytle1, Paula C Bickford, Kavon Rezai-zadeh
1Center for Excellence in Aging and Brain Repair, Department of Neurosurgery, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
Current Alzheimer Research
|September 1, 2009
Summary
Optimized turmeric extracts show potential for Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment by inhibiting beta-amyloid (A beta) aggregation and secretion. Extract HSS-888 demonstrated significant inhibition, suggesting novel therapeutic compounds for AD drug discovery.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Natural Products Chemistry
Background:
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by beta-amyloid (A beta) accumulation and fibril (fA beta) formation, making A beta inhibition a therapeutic target.
- Curcumin exhibits anti-amyloidogenic effects, but optimized turmeric extracts and their specific compounds require further investigation for AD treatment.
- Standardized turmeric extracts with varying chemical profiles were prepared to assess their therapeutic potential for AD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the therapeutic benefits of three standardized turmeric extracts (HSS-838, HSS-848, HSS-888) and four curcuminoids on A beta aggregation and secretion.
- To determine the chemical complexity of the turmeric extracts using DART TOF-MS.
- To explore potential synergistic interactions between extracts and curcuminoids on A beta aggregation.
Main Methods:
- Chemical fingerprinting of turmeric extracts using DART TOF-MS.
- Assessing the inhibition of A beta aggregation using a thioflavin T cell-free assay.
- Measuring A beta secretion from human neuronal cells (SweAPP N2A) in vitro.
Main Results:
- All three turmeric extracts and the four curcuminoids inhibited A beta aggregation in a dose-dependent manner (IC50 ≤ 5 μg/mL).
- Extract HSS-888, curcumin, and demethoxycurcumin significantly reduced A beta secretion (approx. 20%) in neuronal cells.
- Analysis indicated only additive effects for A beta aggregation inhibition, suggesting known curcuminoids are not potent inhibitors, but HSS-888 contains novel bioactive molecules.
Conclusions:
- Turmeric extracts and curcuminoids effectively inhibit A beta aggregation in vitro.
- Extract HSS-888 shows significant potential for inhibiting both A beta aggregation and secretion, indicating novel therapeutic leads for Alzheimer's disease.
- Further research into the novel compounds within HSS-888 could advance Alzheimer's drug discovery efforts.
