Eating turmeric, the distinctive yellow spice in many Indian dishes, may help fight, or even prevent, a variety of viral infections. The main component, curcumin has shown a potential to combat Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV as well as Human Papillomavirus Virus or HPV, the virus associated with cervical cancer. In addition, turmeric may also act against influenza viruses, such as the Swine Flu virus as well.
Anti-HIV Properties
Research at the studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in Bangalore demonstrated the effectiveness of turmeric against the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV virus. When curcumin, the active ingredient of turmeric, was added to HIV-infected laboratory cells, the virus stopped growing. This is not definitive proof that turmeric will be active against the virus in humans; however, it is promising. According to a December 2004 article in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, curcumin stops an enzyme called p300 from regulating gene expression in humans. Because Human Immunodeficiency Viral DNA integrates into human DNA upon infection, the expression of viral DNA is also inhibited when p300 is inhibited. This implies that curcumin acts by inhibiting viral DNA replication within cells.
Anti-HPV Properties
Chronic infection with Human Papillomavirus Virus or HPV is associated with cervical cancer. HPV contains two genes, E6 and E7, which code for proteins that can lead to increased cell growth signaling and eventually cancer. Studies by Bhupesh Prusty and Bhudev Das of the Institute of Cytology and Preventive Oncology in New Delhi report that curcumin has anti-HPV activity because it binds to the same cellular protein that the E6 and E7 proteins bind to, but does not induce cell growth. Curcumin prevents HPV viral proteins from binding, and as a consequence decreases the potential for HPV-induced cancer. Importantly, curcumin can also unseat already bound E6 and E7 viral proteins, stopping the signaling that has already begun.
Influenza Virus
Curcumin possesses anti-influenza activity. A March 2009 study reported in Emerging Infectious Disease reported that laboratory cells treated with curcumin reduced virus replication by over 90 percent. Curcumin appeared to both decrease the amount of viral replication in infected cells, as well as decrease the number of cells that were infected by the virus to begin with.
References
- Sceince Development: Turmeric Can Combat Malaria, Cancer Virus and HIV
- Journal of Biological Chemistry: Curcumin, a Novel p300/CREB-binding Protein-specific Inhibitor of Acetyltransferase, Represses the Acetylation of Histone/Nonhistone Proteins and Histone Acetyltransferase-dependent Chromatin Transcription*
- "The Molecular Targets and Therapeutic Uses of Curcumin in Health and Disease," Bharat B. Aggarwal; Young-Joon Surh; Shishir Shishodia (2007)
- Journal of Virology: The Human Papillomavirus Type 6 and 16 E5 Proteins are Membrane-Associated Proteins which Associate with the 16-kilodalton Pore-Forming Protein
- Emerging Infectious Diseases: Meeting the Challenge of Influenza Pandemic Preparedness in Developing Countries
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