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Oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. Curcuminoids are natural polyphenols with strong antioxidant capacity and may thus be helpful in the treatment of osteoarthritis. The present randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial investigated the efficacy of curcuminoids in reducing systemic oxidative burden in patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis. Forty patients with mild-to-moderate primary knee osteoarthritis were given curcuminoid capsules (1500 mg/day in 3 divided doses; n = 19) or matched placebo capsules (n = 21) for a period of 6 weeks. Curcuminoids were co-administered with piperine (15 mg/day) in order to improve the bioavailability. Serum activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and concentrations of reduced glutathione (GSH) and malonedialdehyde (MDA) were determined spectrophotometrically at baseline and at the end of the treatment period in both groups. Serum activities of SOD as well as GSH and MDA concentrations were comparable between the study groups at baseline (p > 0.05). There was a significant elevation in serum SOD activities (mean change: 2.94 ± 3.73 vs. -0.38 ± 1.33; p < 0.001), a borderline significant elevation in GSH concentrations (mean change: 1.39 ± 2.78 vs. -0.02 ± 1.62; p = 0.064) and a significant reduction in MDA concentrations (mean change: -5.26 ± 4.46 vs. -2.49 ± 3.81; p = 0.044) in the curcuminoids compared with the placebo group. Changes in serum activities of SOD and concentrations of GSH and MDA during the course of trial were significantly correlated. Short-term supplementation with curcuminoids attenuates systemic oxidative stress in patients with osteoarthritis. These antioxidant effects may account for the reported therapeutic effects of curcuminoids in relieving osteoarthritis symptoms.

Background: Chronic cutaneous complications such as pruritus are among the very frequent complaints of sulphur mustard (SM)-exposed patients. The present trial investigated the impact of curcumin on serum inflammatory biomarkers and their association with pruritus severity and quality of life (QoL)., Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind trial among 96 male Iranian veterans (age 37-59 y) who were suffering from chronic SM-induced pruritic skin lesions. Patients were randomly assigned to curcumin (1 g/d, n = 46) or placebo (n = 50) for four weeks. Serum concentrations of interleukins 6 (IL-6) and 8 (IL-8) together with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) were measured at baseline and at the end of the trial. Assessment of pruritus severity was performed using the pruritus score and QoL using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI)., Results: Serum IL-8 and hs-CRP were significantly reduced in both groups but the magnitude of reduction was greater in the curcumin group (P < 0.001). Serum CGRP was only decreased in the curcumin group (P < 0.001). No significant change was observed in serum IL-6. There were significant correlations between CGRP and IL-6 changes (P = 0.011) and between DLQI and IL-8 changes (P = 0.026) in the curcumin group. In the curcumin group, changes in serum IL-8 concentrations were found as the significant predictor of DLQI scores (P = 0.026) but none of the independent variables could predict pruritus scores., Conclusions: Curcumin supplementation effectively mitigates inflammation in patients suffering from chronic SM-induced cutaneous complications. This anti-inflammatory effect might account for the observed pruritus alleviation and QoL improvement by this phytochemical.