Hi:
    This information is not new, although the experimental approach may be 
new. Curcumin has been known to decrease the effect of Alzeimer's disease 
and protect the brain cells. I have been taking 500 mg capsule of tumeric 3x 
a day. I would never go without taking it.
    Dr. R. Rajaraman
**************************
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "M.Schild" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 6:21 AM
Subject: Turmeric for Parkinson's


> Turmeric for Parkinson's
>
> Subhra Priyadarshini
> The researchers: Mythri, Bharath, JagathaThe researchers: Mythri, Bharath,
> Jagatha
>
> Curcumin, the wonder compound in turmeric, has found another possible
> therapeutic use — this time for treatment of Parkinson's Disease1.
>
> Researchers conducting experiments on mice have shown that curcumin 
> increased
> the content of glutathione (GSH), an anti-oxidant in certain nerve cells 
> of
> the brain that control body movement. The increased GSH protects the brain
> against abnormal accumulation of toxic free radicals that damage the
> mitochondria of these nerve cells triggering off Parkinson's Disease (PD).
>
> "During Parkinson’s, there is a gradual death of specific nerve cells 
> called
> dopaminergic neurons in the mid-brain. If we understand why these cells 
> die,
> we can slow the process down or reverse it by developing better 
> therapies,"
> says M. M. Srinivas Bharath, the lead researcher.
>
> During early PD, there is a significant depletion of GSH leading to 
> abnormal
> accumulation of toxic free radicals. These free radicals damage 
> mitochondria,
> the powerhouse of the cell, ultimately killing the nerve cells. "So, if we
> could prevent depletion of GSH in mid-brain nerve cells, we could protect
> nerve cells against degeneration," Bharath says.
>
> The team found that selective GSH depletion in mid-brain nerve cells 
> damaged
> mitochondria mimicking an early PD condition. To protect against this 
> insult,
> they administered curcumin. The compound protected mouse brain and nerve
> cells in culture by increasing the GSH content and protecting against 
> toxic
> free radicals thus exhibiting therapeutic potential in early PD.
>
> To support this conclusion, the team used computer simulations and 
> biochemical
> experiments. They simulated disease pathways of PD using mathematics and
> computer modeling to generate a virtual experimental system that gives a
> complete picture of disease cascades and potential therapeutic targets. 
> Using
> this 'in silico' model, they corroborated that curcumin could be a 
> potential
> therapeutic compound in PD.
>
> The authors of this work are from: Department of Neurochemistry, National
> Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Hosur Road, Bangalore,
> Karnataka, India; Cell works group Inc., Marathahalli, Bangalore & Pierce
> Road, Saratoga, CA, USA.
>
>    *
>
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