(P30-008-23) Curcumin Exhibits Anti-Inflammatory Effects in Adults Who Recovered From COVID-19 and Were Subsequently Vaccinated

Objectives: COVID-19 infection and vaccination offer varying levels of defense against SARS-CoV-2 variants and reinfection. This randomized controlled trial was designed to examine the effects of curcumin supplementation, specifically HydroCurc™ (CURC), versus placebo (CON) on inflammatory biomarkers in an adult population who had been previously diagnosed with COVID-19, per a positive RT-PCR test, and had subsequently received a primary series of monovalent vaccine doses.

Methods: This study was conducted between June 2021-May 2022. Participants (N=31) had received the final vaccine in the primary series at least 3 months prior to enrollment. Participants were stratified by age, sex, and BMI and randomized to receive CURC (500 mg BID) or CON tablets twice daily for four weeks. Blood samples were collected at baseline and week 4 and analyzed for inflammatory biomarkers. Linear regression was used to examine the between-group differences in post-trial biomarker concentrations, controlling for baseline and covariates including age, sex, race/ethnicity, and interval between COVID-19 diagnosis and study enrollment.

Results: The sample was 71% female (Age 27.6 ± 10.4 y). Participants received Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, or AstraZeneca vaccine doses prior to enrollment. The mean interval between COVID-19 diagnosis and trial enrollment was 277.7 ± 109.1 days. Following the 4-week trial, the CURC group exhibited significantly lower post-trial concentrations of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 (β = -0.52, 95%CI = -1.03, -0.01, P = 0.046) and MCP-1 (β = -0.12, 95%CI = -0.23, -0.02, P = 0.027) compared to the CON group, adjusting for baseline and covariates.

Conclusions: Curcumin exhibits anti-inflammatory activity and may be a promising and safe prophylactic nutraceutical strategy for COVID-19. These results suggest that 4 weeks of curcumin supplementation resulted in significantly lower concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines in adults who recovered from COVID-19 infection and were subsequently vaccinated.

Funding Sources: This research was funded by Gencor Pacific Ltd.