Turmeric: harnessing superfoods in pet health

Turmeric is a flowering plant cultivated primarily for its roots, which contain bioactive compounds that have captured the attention of modern medicine. The veterinary community is now increasingly embracing this nutraceutical and beginning to understand the extensive benefits of turmeric to support pet health.

All thanks to curcumin

The major contributor behind turmeric bioactivity comes from one naturally occurring phenolic compound: curcumin. This particular compound makes up 60-70% of the turmeric root extract. To date, numerous studies in both cats and dogs have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of curcumin associated with its anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties.

Problem with bioavailability

Before curcumin can be considered a viable option for disease prevention in pets, it has to consistently demonstrate its efficacy. This means curcumin has to reach target tissues and remain pharmacologically active, all without inferring toxicity to pets.

However, in its free form, the bioavailability of curcumin is extremely low. Not only is it insoluble in the blood, but less than 1% of ingested curcumin gets absorbed by the intestines and makes it into the bloodstream.

Moreover, the curcumin that is absorbed becomes rapidly metabolized by the digestive system into curcuminoid metabolites. Although these metabolites demonstrate improved solubility and stability within the blood, this transformation diminishes curcumin bioactivity. Therefore, curcumin delivery ideally requires a method that allows effective dispersion throughout the body while retaining curcumin’s natural bioactivity.

Nanotechnology advancements

Recent studies are tackling this issue of bioavailability using nanotechnology. Researchers at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine have utilized nanocurcumin preparations encapsulated by liposomes (LipocurcTM).

While liposomes remain insoluble in the blood, this method provides a way to transport curcumin and protect bioactivity as it travels throughout the body. From a clinical perspective, these microscopic vesicles effectively suppress chronic inflammation and tumor development in cases of canine metastatic neoplasia in vitro and in vivo.

The utility of curcumin nanoparticles is also being applied to models of Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). Studies show decreased expression of inflammatory markers associated with FIP by using a soluble sugar polymer (chitosan) to package curcumin into nanoparticles. In addition, ingestion of these chitosan-curcumin nanoparticles increased the levels of circulating curcumin plasma concentrations, thus improving bioavailability compared to curcumin in its free form.

Indirectly benefiting pets

In addition to curcumin being used for disease treatment, it can also indirectly benefit pets by improving their diet. For example, fatty acids – which are an essential part of the macronutrient and micronutrient balance in a complete diet for dogs – are prone to oxidative damage, leading to rancidity and significant health concerns. A recent study published in Archives of Animal Nutrition investigated the role of curcumin in protecting against rancidity in extruded commercial dog food. After six months of storage, adding 32.9 mg/kg of curcumin reduced protein oxidation and lipid peroxidation in kibble food samples, thus increasing the antioxidant capacity of the diet.

The need for further investigation

The future of curcumin in veterinary medicine is promising, but further investigation is needed to understand how this nutraceutical can best be utilized. Care should also be taken to monitor for potential adverse effects and complications. For example, some studies have noted that intravenous (IV) administration of curcumin induces acute hemolysis in beagles and is potentially mediated through interactions with iron.

Now that the spotlight is on curcumin, it is necessary to continue to gain more knowledge about this superfood in the context of pet health.