Skip to main content

Effects of Curcuma extract and visible light on adults with plaque psoriasis

European Journal of Dermatology volume 25, pages 240–246 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

Introduction

We conducted a phase IV randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot clinical trial to investigate the safety and efficacy of oral curcumin together with local phototherapy in patients with plaque psoriasis.

Materials and methods

Patients with moderate to severe psoriasis received Curcuma extract orally with real visible light phototherapy (VLRT) or simulated visible light phototherapy (VLST) in the experimental area, while the rest of the body surface was treated with ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation. The endpoints were the number of responders and the temporal course of the response. The secondary outcomes were related to safety and adverse events.

Results

Twenty-one patients were included in the study. In the intention-to-treat analysis, no patients included in the VLRT group showed “moderate” or “severe” plaques after the treatment, in contrast to the patients included in the VSLT group (p<0.01). Parallelisms in the evolution of PGA, BSA, and PASI scores were observed in the two groups following the treatment. At the end of the study period, 76% of all patients showed a response in the BSA exposed to UVA. Lesions on the experimental area showed a response in 81% of the patients in the VLRT group and 30% of the patients in the VLST group. There were no study-related adverse events that necessitated participant withdrawal.

Conclusion

The results suggested that moderate to severe plaque psoriasis should showa therapeutic response to orally administered Curcuma if activated with visible light phototherapy, a new therapeutic method that would be safer for patients than existing treatments.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Abbreviations

PUVA:

Psoralen associated with Ultraviolet A radiation

UV:

Ultraviolet radiation

UVA:

Ultraviolet A radiation

UVB:

Ultraviolet B radiation

VLRT:

Visible light real treatment

VLST:

Visible light simulated treatment

BSA:

Body Surface Area Affected

PGA:

Physician Global Assessment

PASI:

Psoriasis Area Severity Index

References

  1. Lázaro P, Suárez R. Actualización en el tratamiento de la psoriasis. Inf Ter Sist Nac Salud 2001; 25: 105–10.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Stern RS. Psoralen and ultraviolet a light therapy for psoriasis. N Engl J Med 2007; 357: 682–90.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Menter AB, Gottlieb A, Feldman SR, et al. Guidelines of care for the management of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: Section 1. Overview of psoriasis and guidelines of care for the treatment of psoriasis with biologics. J Am Acad Dermatol 2008; 58: 826–50.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Thangapazham RL, Sharma A, Maheshwari RK. Beneficial role of curcumin in skin diseases. Adv Exp Med Biol 2007; 595: 343–57.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Dujic J, Kippenberg S, Hoffmann S, et al. Low concentrations of curcumin induce growth arrest and apoptosis in skin keratinocytes only in combination with UVA or visible light. J Invest Dermatol 2007; 127: 1992–2000.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Dujic J, Kippenberger S, Ramirez-Bosca A, et al. Curcumin in combination with visible light inhibits tumor growth in a xenograft tumor model. Int J Cancer 2009; 124: 1422–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Miquel J, Bernd A, Sempere JM, Díaz-Alperi J, Ramírez-Boscá A. The Curcuma antioxidants: pharmacological effects and prospects for future clinical use. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2002; 34: 34–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Bernd A, Theilig C, Kippenberg S, et al. An extract of Curcuma longa exerts antioxidative, antiinflamatory and antiproliferative effects on human keratinocytes in vitro. J Invest Dermatol 1997; 109: 460.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bernd A, Theilig C, Kippenberg S, et al. Effects of Curcuma longa extract on the expression of proinflammatory citokines. Skin Pharmacol Apll Skin Physiol 2000; 13: 226.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Asín-LLorca M, Ramírez-Boscá A, Miquel J, et al. Ensayo clínico piloto no controlado de eficacia de 600 mg/día de Extracto de Curcuma estandarizado al 12% en curcumina en el tratamiento de pacientes con psoriasis crónica en placas moderada-grave. 2006; EUDRACT N° 2006-003395-35.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Kurd SK, Smith N, Voorhees AV, et al. Oral curcumin in the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis vulgaris: A prospective clinical trial. J Am Acad Dermatol 2008; 58: 625–31.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Tope WD, Shaffer JJ. Photodynamic treatment; in Bolognia JL, Jorizzo JL, Rapini RP (eds): Dermatology Elsevier, 2005.

  13. Guideline on clinical investigation on medical products indicated for the treatment of psoriasis. [Internet]. CHMP/EWP/2454/02 2011 Mar 8; Available from: www.tga.gov.au/docs/pdf/euguide/ewp/245402en.pdf.

  14. Henseler T, Wolff K, Honigsmann H, Christopher E. The European PUVA study: A cooperative study among 18 european centres. Lancet 1981; 1: 853–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Sivanesan SP, Gattu S, Hong J, et al. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled evaluation of the efficacy of oral psoralen plus ultraviolet A for the treatment of plaque-type psoriasis using the Psoriasis Area Severity Index score (improvement of 75% or greater) at 12 weeks. J Am Acad Dermatol 2009; 65: 793–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Lin JK, Pan MH, Lin-Shiau SY. Recent studies on the biofunctions and biotransformations of curcumin. Biofactors 2000; 10: 153–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Mashewari RK, Singh AK, Gaddipati J, Srimal RC. Multiple biological activities of curcumin: a short review. Life Sci 2006; 7: 2081–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Sikora E, Bielak-Zmijewska A, Magalska A, et al. Curcumin induces caspase-3-dependent apoptotic pathway but inhibits DNA fragmentation factor 40/caspase activated DNA endonuclease in human Jurkat cells. Mol Cancer Ther 2006; 52: 927–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Research Unit, Especialidades Farmacéuticas Centrum, C/Sagitario, 14, 03006, Alicante, Spain

    Miguel Carrion-Gutierrez

  2. Department of Dermatology and Clinical Research Units, Centro Dermatológico Estético, Alicante, Spain

    Ana Ramirez-Bosca, Vicente Navarro-Lopez, Asunción Martinez-Andres & Manuel Asín-Llorca

  3. Department of Dermatology and Venerology, J.W. Goethe-University, Medical School, Frankfurt/Main, Germany

    August Bernd

  4. Department of Pharmacology, Pediatrics and Organic Chemistry, Miguel Hernández University, Elche, Alicante, Spain

    José Francisco Horga de la Parte

Authors
  1. Miguel Carrion-Gutierrez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ana Ramirez-Bosca
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Vicente Navarro-Lopez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Asunción Martinez-Andres
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Manuel Asín-Llorca
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. August Bernd
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. José Francisco Horga de la Parte
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Miguel Carrion-Gutierrez.

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Carrion-Gutierrez, M., Ramirez-Bosca, A., Navarro-Lopez, V. et al. Effects of Curcuma extract and visible light on adults with plaque psoriasis. Eur J Dermatol 25, 240–246 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1684/ejd.2015.2584

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1684/ejd.2015.2584

Keywords

  • psoriasis
  • Curcuma longa extract
  • visible light
  • phototherapy