Curcumin Promotes the Deoxygenated State of Hemoglobin

Introduction: In beta-thalassemia, an imbalance in the production of beta subunits of hemoglobin leads to the oxidation and deposition of excess alpha-globin chains at the cell membrane, resulting in the hemolysis of erythrocytes and a disorder of erythropoiesis. Antioxidants, such as curcumin, may promote this progression. This study aims to investigate the antioxidant effect of curcumin on hemolysate samples from patients with beta-thalassemia.Materials and methods: Pure curcumin was extracted and purified for use in studying its effect on the visual light absorbance of hemoglobin in hemolysate samples from beta-thalassemia patients compared to control samples. Changes in light absorbance at ۵۴۰ and ۷۰۰ nm wavelengths during exposure to curcumin were analyzed to examine the shift from oxyhemoglobin to deoxyhemoglobin.Results: Curcumin was found to dissolve rapidly and to a high degree in ethanol at ۱ mg/ml, but did not dissolve in distilled water at the same concentration. The curcumin addition to the hemolysate sample of a patient with beta-thalassemia resulted in a decrease in the light absorbance of the sample at ۵۴۰ nm wavelength, with minimal changes observed in the control sample.Conclusion: Curcumin deoxygenated the hemolysate samples from both the patient and control, causing hemoglobin precipitation to occur slowly. The study suggests a greater potential role for curcumin in deoxygenating hemoglobin in the hemolysate samples of beta-thalassemia patients compared to those of the normal control.

Keywords:

Beta-thalassemia , Hemoglobin , curcumin