Effects of turmeric and its active principle, curcumin, on bleomycin-induced chromosome aberrations in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Naturally occurring antioxidants have been extensively studied for their ca pacity to protect organisms and cells from oxidative damage. Many plant con stituents including turmeric and curcumin appear to be potent antimutagens and antioxidants. The effects of turmeric and curcumin on chromosomal aberr ation frequencies induced by the radiomimetic agent bleomycin (BLM) were in vestigated in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Three concentrations of ea ch drug. turmeric (100, 250 and 500 mu g/ml) and curcumin (2.5, 5 and 10 mu g/ml), were combined with BLM (10 mu g/ml) in CHO cells treated during the G(1)/S, S or G(2)/S phases of the cell cycle. Neither turmeric nor curcumi n prevented BLM-induced chromosomal damage in any phases of the ceil cycle. Conversely, a potentiation of the clastogenicity of BLM by curcumin was cl early observed in cells treated during the S and G(2)/S phases. Curcumin wa s also clastogenic by itself at 10 mu g/ml in two protocols used. However, the exact mechanism by which curcumin produced clastogenic and potentiating effects remains unknown.