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Turmerin, the antioxidant protein from

turmeric (Curcuma longa) exhibits
antihyperglycaemic effects
a a a
P.C. Lekshmi , Ranjith Arimboor , K.G. Raghu & A. Nirmala
a
Menon
a
Agroprocessing and Natural Products Division, National
Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR),
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695019, India
Version of record first published: 06 Oct 2011.

To cite this article: P.C. Lekshmi , Ranjith Arimboor , K.G. Raghu & A. Nirmala Menon (2012):
Turmerin, the antioxidant protein from turmeric (Curcuma longa) exhibits antihyperglycaemic
effects, Natural Product Research: Formerly Natural Product Letters, 26:17, 1654-1658

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 Natural Product Research
Vol. 26, No. 17, September 2012, 1654–1658

SHORT COMMUNICATION
Turmerin, the antioxidant protein from turmeric (Curcuma longa)
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exhibits antihyperglycaemic effects

P.C. Lekshmi, Ranjith Arimboor, K.G. Raghu and A. Nirmala Menon*

Agroprocessing and Natural Products Division, National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and
Technology (CSIR), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695019, India
(Received 27 June 2010; final version received 18 April 2011)

A wide range of proteinaceous inhibitors are present in plants to protect

themselves from hydrolytic enzymes. In this study, turmerin, a water-soluble
peptide in turmeric rhizomes, was evaluated for its inhibitory potential against
glucosidase and its antioxidant (AO) capacity. Turmerin inhibited -amylase and
-glucosidase activities with IC50 values 31 and 192 mg mL1, respectively. Under
the experimental conditions, those values for a standard glucosidase inhibitor,
acarbose, were 81 and 296 mg mL1, respectively. The AO capacity of turmerin
was evaluated using in vitro assay systems. Turmerin showed good DPPH
(IC50 ¼ 29 mg mL1) and superoxide (IC50 ¼ 48 mg mL1) and moderate ABTS
(IC50 ¼ 83 mg mL1) radical scavenging and Fe(II) chelation (IC50 ¼ 101 mg mL1)
capacities. The inhibitory potential showed by turmerin against enzymes linked to
type 2 diabetes, as well as its moderate AO capacity, could rationalise the
traditional usage of turmeric rhizome preparations against diabetes.
Keywords: Curcuma longa; turmerin; -glucosidase; -amylase; antidiabetic;
antioxidant

1. Introduction
Diabetes, a state of improperly regulated homeostasis of carbohydrate and lipid
metabolism is one of the major killers in recent times. The most prevalent form of
diabetes is non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Rapid hydrolysis of starch mediated
by pancreatic -amylase and -glucosidases followed by glucose uptake at intestine results
in sudden rise in blood glucose levels, resulting in elevated postprandial hyperglycaemia
(PPH) in type 2 diabetes patients (Gray, 1995). PPH is one of the risk factors inherent to
diabetes, which complicates the treatment (Gin & Rigalleau, 2000). Glucosidase inhibitors
play a major role in managing PPH in diabetic patients (Notkins, 2002). The
conventionally used glucosidase inhibiting drugs such as acarbose and miglitol for the
management of PPH in diabetic patients are known to be associated with a variety of side
effects (Fujisawa, Ikegami, Inoue, Kawabata, & Ogihara, 2005). In this context, the search
for glucosidase inhibitors from natural sources with lesser side effects attracts more
researchers’ interests.
In Indian traditional medicine ‘Ayurveda’, turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizomes
have been given a major importance in the treatment of diabetes and related disorders.

*Corresponding author. Email: nirmal_sai@yahoo.co.in

ISSN 1478–6419 print/ISSN 1478–6427 online

ß 2012 Taylor & Francis
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2011.589386
http://www.tandfonline.com
 Natural Product Research 1655

A wide spectrum of physiological effects has been attributed to its rhizome both in
traditional and modern medicinal systems. Curcuminoids and turmerin were reported to
be the major bioactive constituents of the rhizome. Curcuminoids are reported to inhibit
-amylase activity (Du et al., 2006). Turmerin, a water-soluble protein with a molecular
weight of 34 kDa (Smitha, Dhananjaya, Dinesha, & Srinivas, 2009), has been shown to be
an antioxidant (AO) protein (Srinivas, Shalini, & Shylaja, 1992). Its ability to protect
Downloaded by [NIIST National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science & Technolgy] at 03:18 23 January 2013

organs from snake poison-induced oxidative damage is recently reported by

Chethankumar (2010). Cohly et al. (2002) demonstrated endothelial denudation protec-
tion capacity of turmerin. Many plant proteins are reported to inhibit hydrolytic enzymes
as a part of their defense mechanism (Dayler et al., 2005; Mclauchlan et al., 1999). Recent
reports on the glucosidase inhibiting plant proteins are also available (Kumar et al., 2010;
Tiengburanatam, Boonmee, Sangvanich, & Karnchanatat, 2010). In this context, this
study was aimed at the evaluation of turmerin for its -amylase and -glucosidase
inhibitory potentials to rationalise the usage of turmeric rhizomes in traditional
antidiabetic preparations. Since the oxidative stress has a major role in the aetiology
and progression of diabetes and related disorders (Greismacher et al., 1995), the in vitro
AO potential of turmerin was also evaluated in this study.

2. Results and discussion

2.1. Composition of turmerin extract
The turmerin extract was subjected to composition analysis. The extract contained 76.7%
protein, 18.7% carbohydrates and 0.28% phenolics.

2.2. -Amylase and -glucosidase inhibitory activities

The -amylase and -glucosidase inhibition capacities of turmerin extract were determined
and compared with those of a potent glucosidase inhibitor acarbose. The dose response
curves for -amylase and -glucosidase inhibition capacities by turmerin extract are shown
in Figure 1. The -amylase inhibitory potential of turmerin (IC50 ¼ 31 mg mL1) was higher
( p50.05) than that of acarbose (IC50 ¼ 81 mg mL1). The IC50 values obtained for
-glucosidase inhibition by turmerin and acarbose were 192 and 296 mg mL1, respectively.
Both -amylase and -glucosidase inhibition capacities shown by turmerin were
significantly higher than (p50.05) those of acarbose.
Pancreatic and intestinal glucosidases are the key enzymes of dietary carbohydrate
digestion. Inhibition of these key enzymes of dietary carbohydrate digestion is effective in
retarding glucose absorption and thereby suppresses PPH (Hirsh, Yao, Young, &
Cheeseman, 1997). A wide range of proteinaceous inhibitors against hydrolytic effects of
enzymes produced endogenously as well as from infecting micro-organisms are present in
plants (Kumar et al., 2010, Mclauchlan et al., 1999). Reports on plant proteins as
-amylase (Dayler et al., 2005; Kumar et al., 2010) and -glucosidase (Tiengburanatam
et al., 2010) inhibitors are also available. This study demonstrated the potent glucosidase
inhibition capacity of turmerin for the first time. Studies to explore the nature and kinetics
of the glucosidase enzyme inhibition offered by turmerin are in progress in our laboratory.

2.3. In vitro AO activities

The dose response curves for in vitro AO capacities of turmerin extract are shown in
Figure 2. Turmerin showed considerably good DPPH radical-scavenging capacity with an
IC50 value of 29 mg mL1 against gallic acid (IC50 ¼ 4 mg mL1). The IC50 values obtained
for ABTS radical-scavenging capacity of the extract and trolox were, respectively, 83 and
3 mg mL1. The superoxide radical-scavenging capacity of turmerin extract (IC50 ¼ 0
 1656 P.C. Lekshmi et al.
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Figure 1. Dose dependent inhibition of -amylase and -glucosidase shown by the turmerin-
enriched extract (Mean  SD, n ¼ 3).

Figure 2. DPPH, superoxide and ABTS radical scavenging and Fe(II) chelation capacity of
turmerin-enriched extract (Mean  SD, n ¼ 3).
 Natural Product Research 1657

48 mg mL1) was lower ( p50.05) than that of catechin (IC50 ¼ 16 mg mL1). IC50 values
obtained for Fe(II) chelation by turmerin and EDTA were 101 and 6 mg mL1,
respectively. A moderate AO potential of turmerin was demonstrated by these in vitro
assays. Though a number of AO compounds have been isolated and characterised from
dietary sources as effective radical scavengers, very few reports are available on plant
proteins showing AO activity. Smitha et al. (2009) reported hydroxyl radical scavenging
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and lipid peroxidation inhibitory capacities of turmerin. DPPH, ABTS and superoxide
radical-scavenging and chelation capacities of turmerin demonstrated in this study further
confirmed the AO nature of turmerin.

3. Conclusions
The turmeric protein, turmerin-enriched extract showed considerable glucosidase inhibi-
tion potential along with moderate AO capacity. Since diabetes and related disorders are
largely associated with increased oxidative stress, therapeutic agents with both antidiabetic
and AO efficacies gain special interest. Water solubility and non-toxic nature of turmerin
might further enhance its potential as an antidiabetic agent. The high -amylase and
-glucosidase inhibitory potentials of turmerin evidenced by this study along with the
reports on the inhibitory potential of curcuminoids could rationalise the traditional usage
of turmeric as an antidiabetic agent. Further in vivo studies are warranted to fully elucidate
the antidiabetic potential of turmerin.

Supplementary material
Experimental details relating to this article are available online.

Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research, India.

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