Curcumin prevents muscle damage by regulating NF-κB and Nrf2 pathways and improves performance: an in vivo model

Figures & data

Table 1 Composition of basal diet

Description	%
Barley	30.2
Soybean meal	10.0
Sunflower meal	38.0
Wheat bran	6.0
Molasses	10.0
Limestone	3.0
Salt	1.5
dl-Methionine	0.8
Dicalcium phosphate	0.3
Vitamin and mineral premixa	0.2
Analysis
Crude protein	24.3
Ether extract	3.4
Crude cellulose	6.9
Ash	8.1
Ca	1.3
P	0.9

Note:

a The vitamin–mineral premix provides the following (per kilogram): all-trans-retinyl acetate, 1.8 mg; cholecalciferol, 0.025 mg; all-rac-a-tocopherol acetate, 12.5 mg; menadione (menadione sodium bisulfate), 1.1 mg; riboflavin, 4.4 mg; thiamine (thiamine mononitrate), 1.1 mg; vitamin B6, 2.2 mg; niacin, 35 mg; calcium pantothenate, 10 mg; vitamin B12, 0.02 mg; folic acid, 0.55 mg; d-biotin, 0.1 mg; manganese (from manganese oxide), 40 mg; iron (from iron sulfate), 12.5 mg; zinc (from zinc oxide), 25 mg; copper (from copper sulfate), 3.5 mg; iodine (from potassium iodide), 0.3 mg; selenium (from sodium selenite), 0.15 mg; choline chloride, 175 mg.

Table 2 CW+ Ex increased the run to exhaustion time.

Variable	C	C + CW	Ex	Ex + CW
Final weight (g)	257.21	261.62	253.46	259.37
Distance run, average per day (m)	–	–	1,032	1,068
Run to exhaustion (minutes)	70.26^c	74.78^c	173.45^b	185.14^a

Note: Superscripts with different alphabets differ significantly at P<0.05.

Abbreviations: C, control; CW, curcumin, Ex, exercise.

Table 3 Changes in liver and kidney function

Variable	C	CW	Ex	Ex + CW
AST (U/L)	429.96±72.9	427.31±68.5	425.69±39.78	422.41 ±44.38
ALT (U/L)	74.99± 17.05	75.70± 15.24	79.64±16.72	75.86±17.35
Urea (mg/dL)	48.43±4.69	48.14±5.58	49.86±5.87	46.71 ±8.60
Creatinine (mg/dL)	0.43±0.07	0.44±0.03	0.42±0.04	0.40±0.06

Note: Data is presented as mean ± standard deviation.

Abbreviations: ALT, alanine transaminase; AST, aspartate transaminase; C, control; CW, curcumin, Ex, exercise.

Table 4 Effect of E+CW on cardio-metabolic health markers and lactate

Variable	C	C + CW	Ex	Ex + CW
Glucose (mg/dL)	86.71 ±24.98	83.29±10.11	78.00±5.45	79.14±3.12
Total-C (mg/dL)	62.00 ±11.22^a	54.86±6.12^ab	61.43±9.73^a	42.29±7.57^b
HDL-C (mg/dL)	46.71±7.06^a	37.29±2.75^b	37.00±4.83^b	38.14±3.18^b
LDL-C (mg/dL)	11.43±2.64^a	9.29±1.1^ab	11.29±1.11^a	7.00±1.55^b
Triglycerides (mg/dL)	84.14±8.07^a	71.57±11.44^ab	63.00±5.16^b	54.57±20.12^b
Lactate (mg/dL)	8.60±0.91^a	7.59±0.95^a	5.97±0.73^b	4.59±0.45^c

Notes: Data is presented as mean ± standard deviation. Superscripts with different alphabets differ significantly at P<0.05.

Abbreviations: C, control; CW, curcumin, Ex, exercise; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; LDL-C, LDL cholesterol; total-C, total cholesterol.

Table 5 Effect of CW supplementation in the Ex group on muscle oxidative stress metabolites and antioxidant enzymes

Variable	C	CW	Ex	Ex + CW
MDA (nmol/mg protein)	74.29±7.48^a	56.43±6.90^b	62.71±2.69^b	42.00±2.65^c
SOD (U/mg protein)	0.26±0.05^c	0.36±0.03^b	0.35±0.05^b	0.45±0.06^a
GPx (U/mg protein)	148.00±21.63^b	163.71±17.76^ab	161.57±19.45^b	192.43±21.51^a
GSH (µg/mg protein)	8.80± 1.95^c	12.40±1.87^b	11.89± 1.80^b	15.47±2.45a

Notes: Data is presented as mean ± standard deviation. Superscripts differ by alphabets represent significance at P<0.05.

Abbreviations: C, control; CW, curcumin, Ex, exercise; GPx, glutathione peroxidase; GSH, glutathione; MDA, malondialdehyde; SOD, superoxide dismutase.

Figure 1 Effect of different treatments on protein expression levels (Western blot strips) of muscle tissues.

Notes: The intensity of the bands was quantified by densitometric analysis. Data are expressed as the ratio of control (sedentary untreated rats) value (set to 100%). The bar represents standard deviation of mean. Blots were repeated at least three times (n=3) and a representative blot is shown. Protein loading was controlled using β-actin.

Abbreviations: GLUT4; glucose transporter 4; HO-1, hemeoxygenase-1; HSP70, heat shock protein 70; I-κB, inhibitors of kappa B; NF-kB; nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells; Nrf2, nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2; PGC-1α, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha; SIRT1, sirtuin 1; TRX-1; thioredoxin-1; C, control; CW, curcumin, Ex, exercise.

Figure 2 Effect of different treatments on NF-kB (A), I-kB (B), HSP70 (C), TRX-1 (D), SIRT1 (E), PGC-1α (F), Nrf2 (G), HO-1 (H), and GLUT4 (I) protein expression levels of muscle.

Note: Superscripts differ by alphabets represent significance at P<0.05.

Abbreviations: GLUT4; glucose transporter 4; HO-1, hemeoxygenase-1; HSP70, heat shock protein 70; I-κB, inhibitors of kappa B; NF-kB; nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells; Nrf2, nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2; PGC-1α, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha; SIRT1, sirtuin 1; TRX-1; thioredoxin-1; C, control; CW, curcumin, Ex, exercise.