Effect of curcumin on the increase in hepatic or brain phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide levels in mice after consumption of excessive alcohol.

Curcumin is a bright yellow compound found in Curcuma longa L., a member of the family Zingiberaceae. In the present study, we determined whether curcumin protects against oxidative stress in liver and brain in mice fed excessive alcohol. BALB/c mice were administered 20% alcohol (16 g/kg body weight) with or without curcumin (0.016% in diet) for 12 weeks. The concentrations of phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide (PC-OOH) in liver and brain samples were determined using chemiluminescence high-performance liquid chromatography. Mice treated with ethanol and curcumin significantly (P < 0.05) showed a lower hepatic PC-OOH level compared to mice treated with only ethanol. However, there was no significant difference in the brain PC-OOH level among all mice. Our finding indicates that the dosage of alcohol might increase the lipid peroxide level of liver but not of brain, and daily curcumin consumption might be protective for liver against alcohol-related oxidative stress in mice.