STUDIES ON CURCUMIN AND CURCUMINOIDS .25. INHIBITION OF PRIMAQUINE-INDUCED LYSIS OF HUMAN RED-BLOOD-CELLS BY CURCUMIN

The protective effect of curcumin on primaquine (PQ)-induced oxidative damage to red blood cells (RBC) is reported. The protection by curcum in against cell lysis was reversed upon increasing curcumin concentrat ion above 20 mu M. In contrast, curcumin added as a liposome preparati on remained protective even at higher concentrations. Direct determina tion of curcumin in RBC indicated that the liposomes retained most of the curcumin, thus allowing its incorporation into RBC at concentratio ns providing stable protective effects against PQ-induced lysis.