Experimental studies have suggested the beneficial effects of
curcuminoids as natural
polyphenols against
traumatic brain injury (TBI). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of supplementation with
curcuminoids on inflammatory and oxidative stress
biomarkers, clinical outcomes and nutritional status in
critically ill patients with TBI. A total of 62 ICU-admitted adult patients with TBI were randomly allocated to receive either a daily dose of 500 mg
curcuminoids or matched placebo via
enteral nutrition for 7 consecutive days based on stratified block randomization by age and sex. Inflammatory and oxidative stress as well as clinical outcomes and nutritional status of the patients were measured at baseline and at the end of the study. There were no overall group effects regarding to all dependent variables. Compared with baseline, serum levels of
IL-6, TNF-α, MCP-1 and CRP were significantly reduced in patients receiving
curcuminoids (p < .05) without any significant changes in placebo group; however, changes in the activities of GPx and SOD in serum were not significant between two groups. Moreover, APACHEII and NUTRIC score were significantly improved following
curcuminoids consumption in comparison with placebo (p < .05). The findings of this study suggest that short-term supplementation with
curcuminoids may have beneficial effects on
inflammation, clinical outcomes and nutritional status of
critically ill patients with TBI.