Inhibition of tumor necrosis factor by curcumin, a phytochemical

Curcumin, contained in the rhizome of the plant Curcuma longa Linn, is a naturally occurring phytochemical that has been used widely in India and Indonesia for the treatment of inflammation. The pleiotropic cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) induces the production of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1), and, together, they play significant roles in many acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. They have been implicated in the pathogenesis of intracellular parasitic infections, atherosclerosis, AIDS and autoimmune disorders. This report shows that, in vitro, curcumin, at 5 microM, inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of TNF and IL-1 by a human monocytic macrophage cell line, Mono Mac 6. In addition, it demonstrates that curcumin, at the corresponding concentration, inhibited LPS-induced activation of nuclear factor kappa B and reduced the biological activity of TNF in L929 fibroblast lytic assay.