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Tumeric is an Indian spice made from the roots of the plant Curcuma longa. These researchers were interested in turmeric’s role in atherosclerosis, hardening of the arteries. Atherosclerosis leads to illnesses of the blood vessels and heart. These include heart attacks and stroke. They studied how an extract of Curcuma longa affected experimental atherosclerosis (fatty streak) in rabbits. They also measured its interaction with other antioxidants in the plasma (liquid part of the blood). This is because in humans oxidative stress has a role in the development of atherosclerosis. Two groups of male New Zealand White rabbits, a control group and a treatment group, were fed a diet known to cause atherosclerosis. The treatment group was also given curcuma extracted in alcohol and water, by mouth. Six animals from each group were killed after 10, 20, and 30 days. At each interval (10, 20, and 30 days) the treatment group had significantly lower plasma lipid peroxide compared with the controls. The treatment group showed significantly higher levels of the antioxidants, alpha-tocopherol and coenzyme Q at 20 and 30 days. They looked under the microscope for the earliest sign of atherosclerosis, called fatty streak. This type of damage in the largest blood vessel, the aorta, in the chest and abdomen was significantly less in the treatment group than in the controls after 30 days. This extract of Curcuma longa reduced oxidative stress and lessened the early signs of atherosclerosis in rabbits fed a high cholesterol diet.

Curcuma longa extract supplementation reduces oxid…[Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2002]

Curcumin is a yellow pigment obtained from roots of Curcuma longa commonly used as a spice and food colouring. These researchers looked at whether curcumin affected the fats that lead to atherosclerosis. They evaluated the effect of an alcohol-water extract obtained from rhizomes of C. longa on these fats in rabbits. To cause atherosclerosis the 18 study rabbits were fed a diet of 95.7% standard chow, 3% lard and 1. 3% cholesterol for 7 weeks. The rabbits were divided into three groups, two treatment groups and a control group. The two treatments were given turmeric extract by mouth, either 1.66 or 3.2 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. The level of several fats and related chemicals and enzymes in the plasma, the liquid part of the blood, was measured. These included low density lipoprotein (LDL) lipid structure, alpha-tocopherol, retinol, LDL thiobarbiturate reactive substances, and LDL lipid hydroperoxides. The concentration of the thiobarbiturate reactive substances is an index of lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. They also examined the wounds atherosclerotic in the large blood vessel, the aorta. Only the low dose of the extract decreases the peroxidation of LDL. Both treatment groups had lower levels of total plasma cholesterol than the control group. The rabbits treated with the lower dose had lower levels of cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides in LDL than the animals treated with the higher dose. They concluded that this extract could be useful in treating diseases of the heart and blood vessels caused by atherosclerosis

Oral administration of a turmeric extract inhibits…[Atherosclerosis. 1999]