Add-on Treatment with Curcumin Has Antidepressive Effects in Thai Patients with Major Depression: Results of a Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study

Kanchanatawan, Buranee; Tangwongchai, Sookjaroen; Sughondhabhirom, Atapol; Suppapitiporn, Siriluck; Hemrunrojn, Solaphat; Carvalho, André F.; Maes, Michael

doi:10.1007/s12640-017-9860-4

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Published: 11 January 2018

Add-on Treatment with Curcumin Has Antidepressive Effects in Thai Patients with Major Depression: Results of a Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study

Buranee Kanchanatawan¹,
Sookjaroen Tangwongchai¹,
Atapol Sughondhabhirom¹,
Siriluck Suppapitiporn¹,
Solaphat Hemrunrojn¹,
André F. Carvalho² &
Michael Maes ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-2012-871X^1,3,4

Neurotoxicity Research volume 33, pages 621–633 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

Activation of immune-inflammatory and oxidative-nitrosative (IO&NS) stress pathways plays a role in major depression (MDD). Evidence suggests that curcumin (500–1000 mg/day), a polyphenol with strong anti-IO&NS properties, may have efficacy either as monotherapy or as an adjunctive treatment for depression. Further controlled trials with extended treatment periods (> 8 weeks) and higher curcumin doses are warranted. This 12-week study was carried out to examine the effects of adjunctive curcumin for the treatment of MDD. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 65 participants with MDD were randomized to receive either adjunctive curcumin (increasing dose from 500 to 1500 mg/day) or placebo for 12 weeks. Four weeks after the active treatment phase, a follow-up visit was conducted at week 16. Assessments of the primary, i.e., the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), and secondary, i.e., the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), outcome measures were rated at baseline and 2, 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks later. Curcumin was more efficacious than placebo in improving MADRS scores with significant differences between curcumin and placebo emerging at weeks 12 and 16. The effects of curcumin were more pronounced in males compared to females. There were no statistically significant treatment-emerging adverse effects and no significant effects of curcumin on blood chemistry and ECG measurements. Adjunctive curcumin has significant antidepressant effects in participants with MDD as evidenced by significant benefits occurring 12 and 16 weeks after treatment initiation. Curcumin administration was safe and well-tolerated even when combined with antidepressants. Future trials should include treatment-by-sex interactions to examine putative antidepressant effects of immune-modifying compounds.

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Acknowledgements

This research has been supported by the Agricultural Research Developmental Agency (ARDA), Bangkok, Thailand. The funding agency played no role in dada reporting. The authors would like to thank Supaksorn Thika (ST) for her valuable help completing the rating scales.

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Authors and Affiliations

Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
Buranee Kanchanatawan, Sookjaroen Tangwongchai, Atapol Sughondhabhirom, Siriluck Suppapitiporn, Solaphat Hemrunrojn & Michael Maes
Translational Psychiatry Research Group and Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
André F. Carvalho
Department of Psychiatry, Medical University Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Michael Maes
IMPACT Strategic Research Center, Barwon Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
Michael Maes

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Buranee Kanchanatawan
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Sookjaroen Tangwongchai
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Siriluck Suppapitiporn
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Solaphat Hemrunrojn
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André F. Carvalho
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Michael Maes
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All the contributing authors have participated in the manuscript. BK and MM designed the study. BK recruited patients and completed diagnostic interviews. All authors contributed to interpretation of the data and writing of the manuscript. MM carried out the statistical analyses.

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Kanchanatawan, B., Tangwongchai, S., Sughondhabhirom, A. et al. Add-on Treatment with Curcumin Has Antidepressive Effects in Thai Patients with Major Depression: Results of a Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study. Neurotox Res 33, 621–633 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12640-017-9860-4

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Received: 07 November 2017
Revised: 19 December 2017
Accepted: 20 December 2017
Published: 11 January 2018
Issue Date: April 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12640-017-9860-4

Keywords

Depression
Oxidative and nitrosative stress
Immune
Inflammation