Premium
Combined antiparasitic and anti‐inflammatory effects of the natural polyphenol curcumin on turbot scuticociliatosis
Author(s) -
Mallo N,
DeFelipe A P,
Folgueira I,
Sueiro R A,
Lamas J,
Leiro J M
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of fish diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1365-2761
pISSN - 0140-7775
DOI - 10.1111/jfd.12503
Subject(s) - curcumin , turbot , proteases , biology , proinflammatory cytokine , biochemistry , antiparasitic agent , cathepsin , microbiology and biotechnology , pharmacology , inflammation , enzyme , immunology , fishery , fish <actinopterygii>
The histiophagous scuticociliate Philasterides dicentrarchi is the aetiological agent of scuticociliatosis, a parasitic disease of farmed turbot. Curcumin, a polyphenol from Curcuma longa (turmeric), is known to have antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties. We investigated the in vitro effects of curcumin on the growth of P. dicentrarchi and on the production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines in turbot leucocytes activated by parasite cysteine proteases. At 100 μ m , curcumin had a cytotoxic effect and completely inhibited the growth of the parasite. At 50 μ m , curcumin inhibited the protease activity of the parasite and expression of genes encoding two virulence‐associated proteases: leishmanolysin‐like peptidase and cathepsin L‐like. At concentrations between 25 and 50 μ m , curcumin inhibited the expression of S‐adenosyl‐L‐homocysteine hydrolase, an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of the amino acids methionine and cysteine. At 100 μ m , curcumin inhibited the expression of the cytokines tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) and interleukin‐1 beta (IL‐1β) produced in turbot leucocytes activated by parasite proteases. Results show that curcumin has a dual effect on scuticociliatosis: an antiparasitic effect on the catabolism and anabolism of ciliate proteins, and an anti‐inflammatory effect that inhibits the production of proinflammatory cytokines in the host. The present findings suggest the potential usefulness of this polyphenol in treating scuticociliatosis.