Evaluation of the effect of curcumin capsules on glyburide therapy in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus

This study aimed to assess the possible beneficial effects of curcumin capsules as lipid-lowering effects and as a permeability glycoprotein (P-gp) inhibitor on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of glyburide and as a P-gp substrate with glyburide in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus. Open-label, randomized control trial was carried out for 11 days on eight type-2 diabetic patients on glyburide therapy. On the first day of the study, following the administration of 5 mg of glyburide, blood samples were collected from the patients at various time intervals ranging from 0.5 to 24 h. Blood sampling was repeated on the 11th day of the study, after treating the patients with curcumin for ten consecutive days. Glyburide concentrations changed at the second hour, Cmax was unchanged, the glucose levels were decreased, Area Under first Movement Curre (AUMC) was increased, and no patient has experienced the hypoglycaemia. The low-density lipoprotein, very-low-density lipoprotein and triglycerides were decreased significantly, and the high-density lipoprotein content increased. The co-administration of curcumin capsules with glyburide may be beneficial to the patients in better glycaemic control. The lipid lowering and antidiabetic properties of the curcumin show as a potential future drug molecule.