Abstract
Background: Curcumin possesses antioxidant properties against oxidative damage, exerting powerful oxygen-free radical scavenging effects. The present study compares the protective effects of pre-treatment with curcumin and nanoparticles of curcumin on lithium pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE) for oxidative damages and other blood indices in adult male rats.
Methods: The pretreated rats with curcumin and nano curcumin were induced with lithium pilocarpine-induced SE, and the non-enzymatic oxidative stress indices like lipid peroxides (TBARS), reduced total glutathione (GSH), as well as the enzymatic oxidative stress indices like catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), were estimated together in the blood cells with some blood indices in the serum.
Results: SE was able to induce a significant increase in TBARS and CAT and a substantial decrease in GSH, GST, and SOD levels in the blood cell tissues. The curcumin and nano curcumin pretreated groups significantly attenuated these oxidative stress indices. Furthermore, the blood indices like counts of red and white blood cells, platelets, hemoglobin, and packed cell volume were also depleted due to SE. Still, they were unaffected in the curcumin and nano curcumin pretreated groups. The serum enzyme levels of alkaline phosphatase, creatinine kinase, and other serum indices like high-density lipoprotein, urea, and glucose were decreased in the SE group. However, pretreatment with curcumin and nano curcumin ameliorated these serum indices.
Conclusion: The results indicate that oxidative stress indices in blood cells and other serum indices can be potential biomarkers for SE. Curcumin and nano curcumin may act as natural antioxidants for SE in the effective order of nano curcumin > curcumin. Further studies are required to ascertain the possibility of nano curcumin as an antiepileptic natural product.