Potentiation by turmeric and curcumin of γ-radiation-induced chromosome aberrations in Chinese hamster ovary cells

✍ Scribed by Maria Cristina P. Araújo; Francisca da Luz Dias; Catarina S. Takahashi

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 58 KB
• Volume: 19
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0270-3211
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1520-6866(1999)19:1<9::aid-tcm2>3.0.co;2-h

✦ Synopsis

The effect of turmeric and curcumin, two natural antioxidants, on the frequencies of chromosome aberrations induced in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells by g-radiation was investigated. Cells were treated with three concentrations of each drug, turmeric (100, 250, and 500 mg/ml) and curcumin (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/ml), and then irradiated (2.5Gy) during different phases of the cell cycle. Turmeric was not clastogenic by itself, whereas curcumin at 10 mg/ml enhanced the chromosomal damage frequency. Neither of the two antioxidants showed protective effect against the clastogenicity of g-radiation. Instead, an obvious increase in the frequencies of chromosome aberrations was observed when turmeric at 500 mg/ml was associated with g-radiation during G2/S phase, and curcumin at 10 mg/ml plus g-radiation during S and G2/S phases of the cell cycle. The results clearly indicate the exacerbated effect of turmeric and curcumin on radiation-induced clastogenicity, suggesting that these antioxidants are also potentiating agents depending on the experimental conditions.