Effect of dietary turmeric (Curcuma longa) on iron-induced lipid peroxidation in the rat liver

Male Wistar rats were fed a control diet or the control diet supplemented with 1% (by weight) turmeric for 10 wk. In rats injected with 30 mg Fe2+/kg body weight, lipid peroxidation was 29 and 35% lower in liver homogenates and microsomes, respectively, of turmeric-fed rats than in those of rats fed the control diet. The activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase were higher (by 19, 19 and 20%, respectively) in liver homogenates of rats fed the turmeric-containing diet in comparison with the controls. These studies indicate that dietary turmeric lowers lipid peroxidation by enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes.