THE INVESTIGATION OF THE INTERACTIONS OF AN IMPORTANT AGENT, IN TREATMENT OF CANCER, CURCUMIN WITH MODEL MEMBRANES WITH SPECTROSCOPIC AND CALORIMETRIC TECHNIQUES
Project no. 20190 · Status: Kapanmış · 2018
Summary
Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) (CUR) is an important agent extracted from the rhizome of the Curcuma longa (turmeric) plant and has antiviral, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties as well as anticancer effects. In this study, it is aimed to investigate the interactions between curcumin and model membranes at molecular level. Model membranes were prepared in the form of multi-layered vesicles (MLV) by using Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) which is the most common phospholipid in biological membranes, and cholesterol (CHOL) which is an another important component of biological membranes. The effects of curcumin on binary (DPPC + CUR) and (DPPC / CHOL + CUR) ternary systems were investigated. These interactions were investigated by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy techniques. The results obtained from DSC showed that the presence of the agent and the cholesterol together with the agent cause the loss of the pre-transition temperature in both double and triple system. Curcumin added to both systems at different concentrations caused a decrease in the main phase transition temperature (Tm) and enthalpy (?H) values, while the transition width at half-peak height (?T1/2) increased. The results obtained from FTIR showed that the presence of curcumin and cholesterol together with it decreased the order of the model membranes in the gel phase in both systems, while increased it in the liquid crystalline phase, as well as increased the fluidity in both phases. With the analysis of the C = O streching bands, dehydration was observed in both phases in both systems. With the analysis of streching bands, dehydration occurred in liposomes containing only for 24 mol% curcumin and hydration at other concentrations in the binary system. Dehydration was observed in all concentrations in both phases in the ternary system. When all the calorimetric and spectroscopic results were evaluated, it was observed that curcumin interacts with lipids as a whole. It is hoped that the study conducted to investigate the effects of cancer, which is still a deadly disease, and curcumin, an important agent in its treatment, at the molecular level will shed light on clinical studies.