Planta Medica International Open 2018; 5(S 01): S8-S9
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1644931
Natural Health Products & Disease Management
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Translating Curry Extract to Novel Therapeutic Approach in Schizophrenia: the Emerging Role of Epigenetics Signaling

SS Chiu
1   Lawson Health Research Institute, London Ontario; Department psychiatry, University Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
,
M Woodbury-Farina
2   University of Puerto Rico, School of Medicine, Puerto Rico, PR
,
K Terpstra
1   Lawson Health Research Institute, London Ontario; Department psychiatry, University Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
,
V Badmaev
3   Medical Holdings Inc, New York, NY, USA
,
Z Cernovsky
1   Lawson Health Research Institute, London Ontario; Department psychiatry, University Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
,
Y Bureau
1   Lawson Health Research Institute, London Ontario; Department psychiatry, University Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
,
J Jirui Hou
1   Lawson Health Research Institute, London Ontario; Department psychiatry, University Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
,
H Raheb
1   Lawson Health Research Institute, London Ontario; Department psychiatry, University Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
,
M Husni
4   Northern Ontario Medical School, Thunderbay Ontario Canada
,
J Copen
5   University of British Columbia, Victoria medical campus, Victoria BC Canada
,
M Shad
6   Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland Oregon USA
,
A Carriere
7   Nipssing University North Bay ON
,
Z Khazaei
8   University Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
13 April 2018 (online)

 

Despite pharmacotherapeutic advances in schizophrenia, persistent negative symptoms and cognitive impairment often persist in patients diagnosed as schizophnrenia. Growing evidence suggesting that epigenetic dysregulation may play a pivotal role in schizophrenia. No study has been conducted to examine whether targeting epigenetics with HDAC (histone deacetylase) translates to efficacious treatment in schizophrenia. Curcumin (Diferuloylmethane), extracted from Curcuma Longata, exhibits HDAC inhibition and hence may be beneficial in the treatment of schizophrenia. We chose standardized Curcumin C-3 complex combined with Bioperine™: SupercuminTM to examine the efficacy of Curcumin C-3 complex in improving core symptoms and cognitive deficits as assessed with Vital Sign-CNS neurocognitive tests in patients diagnosed as schizophrenia. We recruited community dwelling patients diagnosed as schizophrenia with persistent negative symptoms (Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms: SANS score> 30) to participate in the open-label parallel-group randomized study. We randomized 17 subjects into Group 1 (1 g daily) and Group 2 (4 g daily) respectively for 16 weeks. The subjects were maintained on current antipsychotic therapy throughout the study. We found that Supercurcumin™ 1 g (Group 1) and 4 g (Group 2) groups significantly improved the total, and general psychopathology sub-scales PANSS-(Positive and Negative Symptoms scale). Within group analysis favored statistically significant (p < 0.05) mean changes in total PANSS score, PANSS-negative and PANSS-general psychopathology compared with baseline. Both groups improved in cognition. SupercurcuminTM was well tolerated. We conclude curcumin in targeting HDAC opens new therapeutics frontier in schizophrenia.