Bioavailable curcumin alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation and improves cognition in experimental animals

Background: Healthy neurons and neurotransmitter levels are necessary for the survival of an organism. Considering the fact that the global incidence of neurological disorders are increasing at an alarming rate; there is a global move toward the development of cost-effective natural neuroprotective agents. Objective: In the present contribution, we hypothesized that the formulations of curcumin capable of delivering curcuminoids in the brain would provide enhanced cognitive effects. In this regard, we investigated the relative efficacy of unformulated curcumin (UC) in comparison with “curcumin-galactomannan complex (CGM), an enhanced bioavailable formulation of curcumin that has been reported to possess improved blood-brain-barrier permeability and tissue distribution (Trademarked as “CurQfen®”). Materials and Methods: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuro-inflammatory animal model was employed for the study. Wistar rats of 180–200 g body weight (aged 3–4 weeks) were grouped as Group I: Vehicle control, Group II: LPS treated (250 μg/kg b.wt.), Group III: CGM (200 mg/kg b.wt.) + LPS (i.p.250 μg/kg b.wt.), and Group IV: UC (200 mg/kg b.wt.) + LPS (i.p.250 μg/kg b.wt.) and treated for 28 days. Results: Behavioral studies (elevated plus maze, radial arm maze, and Y-maze), neurotransmitter levels, and histopathology revealed a statistically significant (P ≤ 0.001) cognitive improvement and reduced inflammation among CGM treated rats as compared to UC treated groups. Conclusion: CGM possesses significant enhanced cognitive effects than UC (IEAC No: DPS/12/2015).