Curcumin Administered as Micellar Solution Suppresses Intestinal Inflammation and Colorectal Carcinogenesis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers and preventive strategies based on natural compounds are highly desirable. Curcumin, the principal bioactive compound in Curcuma longa, was described to have multiple beneficial health effects. A drawback, however, is the low bioavailability due to its insolubility in water. Here, we studied whether nanoscaled micellar curcumin with improved bioavailability administered in drinking water reduces inflammation and CRC formation in a mouse model. C57BL6 wild-type (WT) mice and a strain defective in the DNA repair enzyme O-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) were used, in which tumors were induced by azoxymethane (AOM) followed by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). Inflammation and tumor formation were determined by mini-colonoscopy. Micellar curcumin (mCur) administered in drinking water significantly reduced AOM/DSS-induced colorectal inflammation in both WT and MGMT-deficient mice as compared to animals receiving drinking water with micelles not containing curcumin. In line with this, the tumor yield and tumor score were significantly lower in mCur-treated mice compared to the control group. No adverse effects were observed in animals receiving mCur daily for at least three months. Overall, our data show that chronic oral administered micellar curcumin is well tolerated and reduces chemical-induced gut inflammation and CRC formation in mice.Impact: The study shows that micellar curcumin with high bioavailability chronically administered at low and physiologically relevant concentration suppresses inflammation and carcinogenesis in a mouse colorectal tumor model.