Enhanced efficacy of chemically modified curcumin in experimental periodontitis: systemic implications

Dental microbial biofilm initiates gingival inflammation, and its suppression is the current dominant strategy for treating periodontitis. However, the host response to the biofilm is largely responsible for the connective tissue breakdown including alveolar bone loss, which is mediated by proinflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The current study compared the efficacy of a novel host-modulation compound, a chemically modified curcumin (CMC 2.24), to that of its parent compound (natural curcumin), in both lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (a bacterial endotoxin)-induced cell culture and in vivo models of periodontitis. In cell culture, both CMC 2.24 and curcumin appeared similarly effective in suppressing LPS-induced cytokine (IL-1β and TNF-α) secretion by mononuclear inflammatory cells; however, CMC 2.24 significantly reduced MMP-9 secretion by 78% (