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Efficacy of Turmeric as Adjuvant Therapy in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry volume 30, pages 180–186 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

It is known that there is a significant interplay of insulin resistance, oxidative stress, dyslipidemia, and inflammation in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The study was undertaken to investigate the effect of turmeric as an adjuvant to anti-diabetic therapy. Sixty diabetic subjects on metformin therapy were recruited and randomized into two groups (30 each). Group I received standard metformin treatment while group II was on standard metformin therapy with turmeric (2 g) supplements for 4 weeks. The biochemical parameters were assessed at the time of recruitment for study and after 4 weeks of treatment. Turmeric supplementation in metformin treated type 2 diabetic patient significantly decreased fasting glucose (95 ± 11.4 mg/dl, P < 0.001) and HbA1c levels (7.4 ± 0.9 %, P < 0.05). Turmeric administered group showed reduction in lipid peroxidation, MDA (0.51 ± 0.11 µmol/l, P < 0.05) and enhanced total antioxidant status (511 ± 70 µmol/l, P < 0.05). Turmeric also exhibited beneficial effects on dyslipidemia LDL cholesterol (113.2 ± 15.3 mg/dl, P < 0.01), non HDL cholesterol (138.3 ± 12.1 mg/dl, P < 0.05) and LDL/HDL ratio (3.01 ± 0.61, P < 0.01) and reduced inflammatory marker, hsCRP (3.4 ± 2.0 mg/dl, P < 0.05). Turmeric supplementation as an adjuvant to T2DM on metformin treatment had a beneficial effect on blood glucose, oxidative stress and inflammation.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, India for providing financial support in the form of Junior Research Fellowship to Mrs. Maithili karpaga selvi. N. The authors thank Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) for providing the necessary infrastructure for the study. We also thank C-CAMP, NCBS, Bangalore for quantification of curcumin in turmeric extract.

Conflict of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, 605 006, India

    N. Maithili Karpaga Selvi, M. G. Sridhar & R. Sripradha

  2. Department of Medicine, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, 605 006, India

    R. P. Swaminathan

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  1. N. Maithili Karpaga Selvi
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  2. M. G. Sridhar
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  3. R. P. Swaminathan
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  4. R. Sripradha
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Correspondence to M. G. Sridhar.

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Maithili Karpaga Selvi, N., Sridhar, M.G., Swaminathan, R.P. et al. Efficacy of Turmeric as Adjuvant Therapy in Type 2 Diabetic Patients. Ind J Clin Biochem 30, 180–186 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-014-0436-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-014-0436-2

Keywords

  • Diabetes
  • Turmeric
  • Metformin
  • Malondialdehyde
  • Dyslipidemia
  • Inflammation