Department of Neurochemistry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore-560029, Karnataka, India.
Curr Pharm Des. 2012;18(1):91-9. doi: 10.2174/138161212798918995.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-associated neurodegenerative disease clinically characterized as a movement disorder. The motor symptoms in PD arise due to selective degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the ventral midbrain thereby depleting the dopamine levels in the striatum. Most of the current pharmacotherapeutic approaches in PD are aimed at replenishing the striatal dopamine. Although these drugs provide symptomatic relief during early PD, many patients develop motor complications with long-term treatment. Further, PD medications do not effectively tackle tremor, postural instability and cognitive deficits. Most importantly, most of these drugs do not exhibit neuroprotective effects in patients. Consequently, novel therapies involving natural antioxidants and plant products/molecules with neuroprotective properties are being exploited for adjunctive therapy. Curcumin is a polyphenol and an active component of turmeric (Curcuma longa), a dietary spice used in Indian cuisine and medicine. Curcumin exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, crosses the blood-brain barrier and is neuroprotective in neurological disorders. Several studies in different experimental models of PD strongly support the clinical application of curcumin in PD. The current review explores the therapeutic potential of curcumin in PD.
帕金森病（PD）是一种与年龄相关的神经退行性疾病，临床上表现为运动障碍。PD 的运动症状是由于腹侧中脑黑质的多巴胺能神经元选择性退化，从而导致纹状体中的多巴胺水平降低。PD 目前的大多数药物治疗方法旨在补充纹状体中的多巴胺。虽然这些药物在早期 PD 中提供了症状缓解，但许多患者在长期治疗后会出现运动并发症。此外，PD 药物不能有效治疗震颤、姿势不稳和认知缺陷。最重要的是，这些药物在患者中没有表现出神经保护作用。因此，正在探索涉及具有神经保护特性的天然抗氧化剂和植物产品/分子的新疗法作为辅助治疗。姜黄素是多酚类化合物，也是姜黄（Curcuma longa）的一种活性成分，姜黄是印度菜肴和药物中使用的一种食用香料。姜黄素具有抗氧化、抗炎和抗癌特性，可穿过血脑屏障，在神经退行性疾病中具有神经保护作用。多项 PD 不同实验模型的研究强烈支持姜黄素在 PD 中的临床应用。本综述探讨了姜黄素在 PD 中的治疗潜力。
