Curcumin prevents hepatitis C viruses from entry into liver cells

Seasoning against hepatitis C

The spice turmeric from turmeric is an integral part of Indian cuisine - probably because people have known about its digestive effects for centuries. The color curcumin, which gives curry and co its bright yellow color, also has a cancer-inhibiting effect. Scientists at TWINCORE in Hanover have now proven that curcumin is also effective against hepatitis C viruses (HCV): the yellow dye prevents the viruses from penetrating the liver cells.

Around 130 million people around the world are considered to be HCV infected - around half a million people in Germany live with the virus. "The hepatitis C virus specializes in liver cells and a chronic liver infection with HCV is now the most common cause of liver transplants," explains PD Dr. Eike Steinmann, scientist at the Institute for Experimental Virology. The time after the transplant is particularly problematic, because the transplanted livers are quickly infected again with HCV through virus reservoirs in the body and destroyed by the virus. "Preventing this reinfection and thus protecting the new organ from infection is a major clinical challenge," says Eike Steinmann.

"In my country, people goldenseal eat when they have liver problems," says the native of Indonesia scientists Anggakusuma, also from the Institute for Experimental Virology. "This has encouraged us to look at a liver-specific virus to the action of curcumin." With success: In cell cultures of yellow dye prevents the entry of the HC virus in liver cells by changing the flexibility of the viral envelope. Moreover, it inhibits the passage of viruses from a liver cell to the next. "Then we tested curcumin in combination with the drugs on the market to HCV and observed in cell cultures significantly increased antiviral effect of the combination compared with the individually administered drugs." And the combination of curcumin and green tea - from Eike Steinmann already could prove 2011 that its ingredient epigallocatechin 3 gallate entry of HCV inhibits in liver cells - is significantly more effective than curcumin or green tea alone.

If spiced with turmeric, green tea is now the standard drink on the transplant station? "The results make natural courage," says Eike Steinmann, but curcumin has a twist: its low bioavailability. The dye is degraded in the body very quickly and therefore can only work for a short time after ingestion. Therefore Indonesian partner of TWINCORE scientists working on new formulations. Make nanocrystals forth from curcumin, a significantly higher retention in the body than the normal spice powder.

At the formulation, however, needs to be developed, so that the yellow spice can be used against HCV at all. Scientists looking meanwhile for other viruses that may can also be shut out with the Indian spice from our cells.

Publication:

Good. 2013 31 July. doi: 10.1136 / gutjnl-2012-304299. [Epub ahead of print] Turmeric curcumin Inhibits entry of all hepatitis C virus genotypes into human liver cells. Anggakusuma, Colpitts CC, Shang LM, Rachmawati H, Frentzen A, Pfaender S, Behrendt P, Brown RJ, Bankwitz D, Steinmann J, Ott M, Meuleman P, Rice CM, Ploss A, Pietschmann T, Steinmann E.

Source: Hannover [Twincore]