Curcumin, an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant component found in turmeric, has been shown to inhibit angiogenesis in cancerous tumors.
When this flexible molecule is delivered into stem cell cultures using magnetic hydrogels, bioengineers have discovered that it paradoxically enhances the production of vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, which assists in the creation of vascular tissues.
Turmeric helps blood vessels and tissue growth
(Photo : INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP via Getty Images)
Bioengineers at UC Riverside have discovered something that might speed up the creation of the lab-grown vascular system and other tissue to replace and repair damaged tissues in human patients.
The findings were published in the journal Applied Materials and Interfaces by the American Chemical Society.
Curcumin's potential for vascular regeneration has long been believed, but it hasn't been well investigated.
Curcumin's regeneration qualities were investigated by coating magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with the molecule and putting them into a biocompatible hydrogel, according to Huinan Liu, a bioengineering professor at UCR's Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering
When the magnetic hydrogel was cultivated with bone marrow stem cells, it gradually released the curcumin without harming the cells.
The hydrogels that included curcumin-coated nanomaterials released more VEGF than the hydrogels that contained only bare nanoparticles.
"Our findings show that curcumin released from magnetic hydrogels induces cells to generate VEGF, one of the most critical growth factors for encouraging the formation of new blood vessels," said the study's lead author Changlu Xu, a Ph.D. student in Liu's lab who specialized in hydrogel research, as per ScienceDaily.
The scientists also exploited the magnetic characteristics of the nanoparticles to see whether they could direct them to certain sections of the body.
They utilized a magnet to successfully guide the movement of some of the curcumin-coated nanoparticles in a tube behind sections of fresh pig tissue.
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Other benefits of turmeric and curcumin
Turmeric contains bioactive chemicals that have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities.
Turmeric, on the other hand, has a low curcumin content making up around 3% of the total weight.
The bulk of experiments on this plant uses curcumin-rich turmeric formulations, with daily dosages frequently exceeding 1 gram, as per healthline.
These amounts would be impossible to obtain only through the use of turmeric as a spice.
Curcumin, on the other hand, is poorly absorbed into circulation. In order to reap the full advantages of curcumin, its accessibility (the rate at which your body absorbs a chemical) must improve.
It is recommended to eat this with black pepper, which also contains piperine. Piperine is a naturally occurring chemical that increases the absorption of curcumin by 2,000%.
Turmeric has the ability to boost the body's antioxidant capacity.
One of the factors behind aging and many illnesses is oxidative damage.
Free radicals are known to react with essential chemical compounds such as fatty acids, proteins, and DNA. Antioxidants are essential because they protect your body from free radicals.
Curcumin is a potent antioxidant with a chemical structure that may be able to neutralize free radicals.
Curcumin may also inhibit the activity of free radicals while stimulating the activity of other antioxidants, according to animal and cellular studies.
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