Pharmacological Evaluation of Curcuma longa in Glucotoxicity Through Antiglycation, Antioxidant, Antidiabetic and Molecular Docking Studies

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus, which is characterized by hyperglycemia and glucotoxicity, leads to severe metabolic disturbances and complications driven by the accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Several medicinal plants, including Curcuma longa, have been used traditionally to alleviate the inflammation and wound healing associated with these chronic disorders. However, scientific evidence is scarce regarding the assessment of the potential of Curcuma longa in glucotoxicity. Therefore, this study has been designed to evaluate the effect of Curcuma longa extract (CLE) in mitigating GO (glyoxal) derived AGEs-induced glucotoxicity through in vitro and in vivo studies, alongside molecular docking analysis. Cytotoxicity assay results suggested the safety doses of CLE, and then the antiglycation activity was assessed through the GO-AGEs inhibition assay, revealing the significant inhibitory effect of CLE at both low and high doses. Mentionable that, our in vivo studies data from a diabetic mice model strongly supported the antidiabetic efficacy of CLE through significant reductions in blood glucose levels. Additionally, CLE has exhibited potent antioxidant properties, confirmed by DPPH assays. Besides that, the presence of curcumin has also been confirmed by UV/Visible spectrophotometry through the curcumin percentage and color value determination method. Additionally, molecular docking studies also supported the binding affinities of curcumin (the major bioactive compound of CLE) with different proteins of RAGE signaling pathways. Overall, this comprehensive study provides scientific validation for the use of CLE as a natural therapeutic agent in diabetes targeting glucotoxicity and offers a promising alternative for reducing the burden of diabetes-induced complications.

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 29(2): 269-281, 2026 (July)