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Turmeric - Herbal Treatments

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Turmeric - Herbal Treatments Empty Turmeric - Herbal Treatments

Post by Katy Sun Oct 02, 2011 10:29 am

Turmeric - Curcuma longa, Curcuma domestica

Turmeric - Herbal Treatments Turmeric

Introduction

Turmeric (Curcuma domestica, Curcuma longa) is a member of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae) and is thought to be indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. It is grown and harvested commercially in India, China, and many regions of tropical south Asia. Turmeric is best known for its culinary use as a major component of curry powder. In most countries turmeric is an approved food additive and is commercially available at low cost. It shows up as a coloring agent in items as diverse as pharmaceuticals, yellow mustards, and cosmetics, as well as in dyes for hair and fur. Indigenous systems of medicine, including the Chinese and Ayurvedic systems, have widely used turmeric for centuries in the treatment of many inflammatory conditions and diseases. In India, turmeric has traditionally been used primarily for arthritic and muscular disorders, while in China it has been used as a topical analgesic and for a range of other conditions.

Other names:

Haridra, haldi, Indian saffron, yellow ginger, jiang huang (rhizome), yu jin (root tuber)

Parts Used:

Dried rhizome, tuber

Selected Constituents:

Turmeric's active constituents are yellowish orange volatile oils called curcuminoids. There is currently great interest in the curcuminoid known as curcumin.

Used for:

Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties and there is some early research that suggests that turmeric may be of benefit for the treatment of arthritis. There is also some studies that indicate it may be helpful for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Turmeric has been given in the feed to improve broiler chicken performance as it improves the function of the gastrointestinal tract resulting in better feed conversion.

Turmeric extracts have a protective and anti-inflammatory effect on the liver when it has been damaged.

Historically and traditionally it has been used for many other reasons but as there is no research on those I haven't listed them here.

Dosage for Small Animals:

Dried herb: 50-600mg/kg, divided daily, three times per day, to maximum palatability tolerance.

Decoction: 5-30g per cup of water, administered at a rate of 1/4 - 1/2 cup per 10kg, divided daily (optimally 3 times per day), and diluted or combined with other herbs. Higher doses may be appropriate if the herb is used singly and is not combined in a formula.

For interest: Horses - Curcumin: 1200-2400 mg daily Canines - 50-250 mg TID; Feline - 50-100mg QD (Silver, 1997).

Clinical Actions

Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-platelet, cholagogue, hepatoprotective, anticancer, cholesterol reducing.

Toxicity Information:

Although the quality of the available clinical studies is questionable, turmeric appears generally safe.
Some contact dermatitis reactions have been reported.

Contraindications:

Turmeric should not be used for patients with gastrointestinal ulceration or hyperacidity, according to The Botanical Safety Handbook; however, it may protect against the development of ulcers. It is not recommended for those with gallstones or bile obstruction. Consult with medical professional before using in pregancy as it can be a uterine stimulant.

Drug Interactions:

Caution is advised with antiplatelet or anticoagulation medication.

Published Research Results:

Arthritis
Neither turmeric nor curcumin has been extensively studied in clinical trials. One human clinical trial compared curcumin 1200 mg/day with phenylbutazone 300 mg/day in 18 patients with rheumatoid arthritis under double-blind conditions for an unspecified duration. Both curcumin and phenylbutazone improved morning stiffness, walking time, and swelling, but only phenylbutazone improved what the authors termed fatigue time. The investigators assessed both drugs as producing a significant difference and an overall improvement over baseline.

A research paper was published in 2003 by Innes. It related the outcomes of a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled parallel-group clinical trial using Curcuma domestica as a treatment for patients with osteoarthritis of the canine elbow or hip. They were reexamined after 4, 6 and 8 weeks of treatment. The investigators assessments showed a statistically significant treatment result, however owners of the animals did not. Some animals being given both placebo and the Curcuma, had to be withdrawn due to deterioration of their condition. The results were not convincing in support of the curcumin for osteoarthritis, although further research is recommended.

Snake Venom Treatment
Jacome (2002) published findings that topical Turmeric extract was as effective as antivenom for treating dogs that had been envenomated with nonlethal doses of Bothrops alternatus snake venom.

Feed Additive
In broiler chickens, the effect of turmeric as a feed additive on performance was investigated. Turmeric was included in the diet at 0.25%, 0.5% and 1.0%. Birds fed turmeric had greater body weight gain at 0.5% followed by 0.25% and 1% compared with controls. Feed conversion of birds receiving 0.5% turmeric was best as compared with controls. Turmeric did not induce any abnormal flavour, colour or smell. (Al-Sultan, 2003)

Treatment for chronic anterior uveitis.
Research shows some improvements when used for treatment of uveitis, although standard medication produced much better results.

Coccidiostat
I found one study where turmeric was tested for cocidiostatic properties. In this study, at 3% additive in the feed, turmeric produced similar results to the coccidiostat - salinomycin sodium. This was just a brief summary of the research, rather than the full publication and it was the only reference I could find. Click Here to See it. I haven't tried this as coccidiosis kills too quickly to muck around with it, but I've included it here for interest's sake. None of my Herbal Veterinary Manuals or more reputable texts mentioned this, so I'm a bit sceptical. If anyone finds published research on this topic I would like to know about it.

Sources:
Wynn, S.G. & Fougere, B.J. (2007) Veterinary Herbal Medicine. Mosby Elsevier. Sydney
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/406890
http://lib.vet.chula.ac.th/Data_files/ebook/Thesis/Thesis2536-2547/CD_Thesis/154.pdf
http://ecam.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/4/suppl_1/65.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1394115?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=6
Picture taken from Here

Disclaimer
All threads listed in this Index are the opinions of caring forum users. Poultry Matters takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained within, and if in doubt, always refer your poultry queries and problems to your vet.
Katy
Katy
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Posts : 130
Join date : 2011-09-30
Location : Morayfield QLD

http://www.poultrymatters.com

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