Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 18, 2026
Author Spotlight: Exploring Photodynamic Therapy with Curcumin in a Murine Model for Oral Candidiasis
Published on: October 27, 2023
Adjunctive Therapy with Curcumin for Peptic Ulcer: a Randomized Controlled Trial
A Khonche1, O Biglarian1, Y Panahi2
1Baqiyatallah Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Background:
Curcumin, the bioactive ingredient of turmeric, has been shown to improve the treatment of peptic ulcer (PU) in animal studies. However, clinical studies confirming this effect of curcumin have been scant.
Objective:
To assess the efficacy of adjunctive therapy with curcumin on the eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection and severity of dyspepsia in patients with PU.
Methods:
In this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled parallel-group trial, patients diagnosed with PU were assigned to standard H. pylori eradication triple therapy with clarithromycin (500 mg b.i.d.), amoxicillin (1 000 mg b.i.d.) and pantoprazole (40 mg b.i.d.), and randomized to receive either curcumin (500 mg/day) or placebo as adjunct to standard treatment. Severity of dyspepsia symptoms was evaluated using the Hong Kong dyspepsia index (HKDI). Eradication of H. pylori infection was assessed using the urea breath test (UBT) at 4 weeks following the end of treatment.
Results:
Adjunctive therapy with curcumin was associated with a greater improvement of dyspepsia symptoms according to the HKDI score (change score: -12.90±2.81 vs. -9.60±3.39 in the curcumin and control group, respectively; p<0.001). The number of subjects whose dyspepsia was resolved during the course of treatment was significantly higher in the curcumin (27.6%) vs. placebo (6.7%) group (p=0.042). Nevertheless, the results of UBT test showed equal rate (73.3%) of H. pylori eradication in the study groups. Curcumin was safe during the course of trial.
Conclusion:
Addition of curcumin on top of the standard anti-helicobacter regimen in patients with PU is safe and improves dyspepsia symptoms but has no enhancing effect on the eradication of H. pylori infection.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Peptic Ulcer Disease IV: Management
The therapeutic approach involves ensuring adequate rest, implementing drug therapy, promoting smoking cessation, making dietary modifications, and emphasizing long-term follow-up care.
Pharmacological management
The prevailing therapy for peptic ulcers involves a combination of managing the patient's current...
01:24Drugs for Peptic Ulcer Disease: Sucralfate as Mucosal Protective Agents
In this scenario, mucosal protective agents like sucralfate play an essential role. Sucralfate, a complex of sulfated sucrose and aluminum hydroxide, demonstrates its usefulness in acidic conditions,...
01:16Treating Helicobacter pylori in Peptic Ulcers: Antimicrobial Therapy
01:28Peptic Ulcer Disease III: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies
Few clinical manifestations differentiate gastric ulcers from duodenal ulcers. Distinctions in the location, timing, and pain relief are crucial for healthcare providers in differentiating between gastric and duodenal ulcers during clinical assessments.
01:20Drugs for Peptic Ulcer Disease: Prostaglandin Analogs as Mucosal Protective Agents
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can induce peptic ulcers by inhibiting cyclooxygenase, decreasing...
01:30Peptic Ulcer Disease I: Introduction
An acute ulcer, marked by superficial erosion and minimal inflammation, swiftly resolves upon identifying and addressing the underlying cause. In contrast, a chronic ulcer persists, potentially eroding through the muscular wall and forming fibrous tissue.
Peptic ulcers can also be...