Curcumin as a potential therapeutic candidate for Helicobacter pylori associated diseases

Curcumin, a yellow pigment and principal polyphenolic Curcuminoid obtained from the turmeric rhizome Curcuma longa, is commonly used as a food-coloring agent. Studies suggest that curcumin has a wide range of beneficial properties e.g., anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-proliferative, anti-fungal and anti-microbial. These pleiotropic activities prompted several research groups to elucidate the role of curcumin in Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) infection. This is the first review with this heading where we discussed regarding the role of curcumin as an anti-H. pylori agent along with its potential in other gastrointestinal diseases. Based on several in vitro, early cell culture, animal research and few pre-clinical trials, curcumin projected as a potential therapeutic candidate against H. pylori mediated gastric pathogenesis. This review sheds light on the anti-H. pylori effects of curcumin in different models with meticulous emphasis on its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic effects as well as some critical signaling and effecter molecules. Remarkably, non-toxic molecule curcumin fulfills the characteristics for an ideal chemopreventive agent against H. pylori mediated gastric carcinogenesis but the foremost challenge is to obtain the optimum therapeutic levels of curcumin, due to its low solubility and poor bioavailability. Further, we have discussed about the possibilities for improving its efficacy and bioavailability. Lastly, we concluded with the anticipation that in near future curcumin may be used to develop a therapeutic drug against H. pylori mediated gastric ailments through improved formulation or delivery systems, facilitating its enhanced absorption and cellular uptake.

Novel virulence factor dupA of Helicobacter pylori as an important risk determinant for disease manifestation:An overview

Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)is a microaerophilic,Gram-negative,human gastric pathogen found usually in the mucous lining of stomach.It infects more than 50%of the world’s population and leads to gastroduodenal diseases.The outcome of disease depends on mainly three factors:Host genetics,environment and bacterial factors.Among these,bacterial virulence factors such as cagA,vacA are well known for their role in disease outcomes.However,based on the global epidemiological results,none of the bacterial virulence(gene)factors was found to be associated with particular diseases like duodenal ulcer(DU)in all populations.Hence,substantial importance has been provided for research in strain-specific genes outside the cag pathogenicity island,especially genes located within the plasticity regions.dupA found within the plasticity regions was first demonstrated in 2005 and was proposed for duodenal ulcer development and reduced risk of gastric cancer in certain geographical regions.Due to the discrepancies in report from different parts of the world in DU development related to H.pylori virulence factor,dupA became an interesting area of research in elucidating the role of this gene in the disease progression.In this review,we shed light on the detailed information available on the polymorphisms in dupA and their clinical relevance.We have critically appraised several pertinent studies on dupA and discussed their merits and shortcomings.This review also highlights dupA gene as an important biomarker for DU in certain populations.