Discovery of the curcumin metabolic pathway involving a unique enzyme in an intestinal microorganism

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 108; no. 16; pp. 6615 - 6620
• Main Authors: Hassaninasab, Azam, Hashimoto, Yoshiteru, Tomita-Yokotani, Kaori, Kobayashi, Michihiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences 19.04.2011; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Antioxidants; Base Sequence; biochemical pathways; Biological Sciences; Centrifugation; Chromatography; Curcuma longa; curcumin; Curcumin - metabolism; E coli; Enzyme activity; Enzymes; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - enzymology; Escherichia coli - genetics; Feces; Flowers & plants; foods; genes; Humans; intermediate product; Intestinal microorganisms; Intestines - microbiology; medicinal properties; Metabolism; Microorganisms; Molecular Sequence Data; molecular weight; NADP - genetics; NADP - metabolism; Oxidoreductases - chemistry; Oxidoreductases - genetics; Oxidoreductases - isolation & purification; Oxidoreductases - metabolism; Pigments; polyphenols; Reaction products; rhizomes; traditional medicine

Polyphenol curcumin, a yellow pigment, derived from the rhizomes of a plant (Curcuma longa Linn) is a natural antioxidant exhibiting a variety of pharmacological activities and therapeutic properties. It has long been used as a traditional medicine and as a preservative and coloring agent in foods....