Curcumin Provides Long-Term Protection Against Lung Damage in Premature Infants

An interesting study on 'turmeric,' one of the key ingredient in many Asian dishes, reveals that curcumin, a naturally occurring compound in turmeric, may protect against lung damage in premature infants.

Turmeric and its naturally occurring compound curcumin have an incredible therapeutic value and are widely used as medicinal spice. The new study conducted by researchers at Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed) reveals that curcumin may provide lasting protection against lung damage in preemies.

When compared to the full term babies, premature babies who are born before 37 weeks are more vulnerable and require special treatment and care. Apart from feeding problems, one of the major problems preemies face is difficulty in breathing. They often depend on ventilators and require  oxygen therapy. This occurs frequently as the preemies are born with an inadequate lung function.

Though these therapies help the preemies to recover fast, they have a certain downside to it. These therapies often cause long term lung damage and in worst cases even death.

But with the new finding lasting lung damage in infants can be prevented. The researchers at LA BioMed worked on disease models and noticed that curcumin offered long term protection against the damage caused by various therapies.

They discovered that curcumin offered a strong shield against bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BDP) and  hyperoxia.  The condition that is characterized by scarring and inflammation is known as BDP and where excess of oxygen enters the body through lungs is referred to as hyperoxia.

Prior to this, a study conducted by LA BioMed found that curcumin provided protection for nearly seven days after birth.

"This is the first study to find long-term benefits of using curcumin to protect lung function in premature infants," said Virender K. Rehan, MD, LA BioMed lead researcher who authored the study. "Curcumin is known to have potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, making it a promising therapy for premature infants who require oxygen therapy after birth."

The study was published in the American Journal of Physiology - Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology.