Improvement of Bioavailability and Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Curcumin in Combination with Emu Oil

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the effect of emu oil on bioavailability of curcumin when co-administered and to evaluate the property that enhances the anti-inflammatory potential of curcumin. Oral bioavailability of curcumin in combination with emu oil was determined by measuring the plasma concentration of curcumin by HPLC. The anti-inflammatory potential was evaluated in carrageenan-induced paw edema model (acute model) and in Freund’s complete adjuvant (FCA)-induced arthritis model (chronic model) in male SD rats. The anti-inflammatory potential of curcumin in combination with emu oil has been significantly increased in both acute and chronic inflammatory models as evident from inhibition of increase in paw volume, arthritic score, and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The increased anti-inflammatory activity in combination therapy is due to enhanced bioavailability (5.2-fold compared to aqueous suspension) of curcumin by emu oil. Finally, it is concluded that the combination of emu oil with curcumin will be a promising approach for the treatment of arthritis.