Curcumin ameliorates oxidative stress in red blood cells during ageing

Abstract

An essential dietary flavonoid known as curcumin has positive health effects and inhibits the synthesis of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The aim of this study is to look at signs of oxidative stress in red blood cells (RBCs) treated with curcumin as a function of age. A total of 116 healthy volunteers ranging in age from 20 to 81 years provided clinically pertinent blood samples for the investigation. Three groups of subjects were created: young (20 to 35 years), middle (36 to 60 years), and old (>60 years). Oxidative stress was induced in vitro by incubating RBCs with 10^-5M tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP). Malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione were detected by co-incubating RBCs with curcumin (10^-8 M to 10^-5 M final concentration) and t-BHP to assess the effect of curcumin. After being incubated with t-BHP, the results revealed higher MDA levels (P <0.001) in comparison to their respective controls and the GSH level significantly (P <0.001) decreased during ageing. By raising GSH and lowering MDA levels, curcumin treatment in vitro considerably (P <0.01) mitigated the harmful effect of oxidative stress in RBCs from all age groups. The results of this study showed the potential role of curcumin in the ageing process and it will facilitate the quick screening of novel chemical compounds that may protect RBCs from oxidative stress.