ArticleThe Indian journal of medical research2026
Efficacy of curcumin and resveratrol in the synergistic activation of foetal haemoglobin in sickle cell disease.
Article in The Indian journal of medical research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background and objectives Sickle cell disease is a major haemoglobin disorder, and foetal haemoglobin (HbF) remains the strongest modifier of disease severity. Hydroxyurea is the standard HbF-inducing drug, but many patients show limited response. Curcumin and resveratrol are natural polyphenols with low toxicity. This study evaluated their individual and combined effects on HbF induction in K562 cells and primary CD34⁺ cells. Methods K562 cells were treated with curcumin, resveratrol, and hydroxyurea at increasing doses. Viability was measured by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, and IC₅₀ values (half maximal inhibitory concentration) were calculated. Drug combinations were tested in fixed ratios, and synergy was analysed using CompuSyn and SynergyFinder. CD34⁺ cells were isolated by MACS (magnetic-activated cell sorting) and differentiated for 14 days. Treatments began on day 3, and HbF levels were measured by ELISA. Results Curcumin showed the lowest IC₅₀ (74.8-66.3 µM), followed by resveratrol (84.3-75.2 µM), and hydroxyurea (140-131.9 µM) (p<0.05 for all comparisons). All compounds maintained over 70% viability at sub-IC₅₀ doses in both K562 and CD34⁺ cells. The strongest synergy was observed in the curcumin + resveratrol combination (Combination index (CI) 0.55±0.03; Loewe score 39.7±3.1), indicating a strong synergistic interaction despite model-specific differences. HbF induction followed the same trend and was consistent across experimental replicates. Curcumin raised HbF to 16.8% (1.9-fold), resveratrol to 12.5% (1.4-fold), and hydroxyurea to 21.2% (2.3-fold). Curcumin + resveratrol showed the highest induction at 24.92% (2.7-fold). In SCD CD34⁺ cells, the same combination produced 27.8% relative to untreated baseline. Interpretation and conclusions The strong synergy reflects the complementary action of antioxidant, epigenetic, and nitric-oxide-linked pathways. Minimal HbF rise in normal CD34⁺ cells indicate disease-specific responsiveness. Curcumin and resveratrol together form a potent and safe strategy for enhancing HbF and may serve as an effective adjunct therapy for SCD.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.