Efficacy and Safety Curcumin in Depression

The Efficacy and Safety of Adjunctive Curcumin for Treatment of Depression: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study

Status

Completed

Phases

Phase 4

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT01750359

Enrollment

Registered

2012-12-17

Start date

2010-08-31

Completion date

2011-06-30

Last updated

2013-02-07

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Major Depression

Keywords

antioxidants, curcumin, depression

Brief summary

Antidepressants generally do not lead to an immediate relief of symptoms. Most people will not see a significant improvement for at least 4 weeks. Studies have generally shown that the full benefits of antidepressant therapy may take as long as 8 to 12 weeks. However, this timeline is variable among individuals.Curcumin is one of the main curcuminoids isolated from this perennial herb. It possesses a variety of pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects. Curcumin has been found to possess antidepressant action in various animal models of depression. Chronic administration of curcumin has been reported to exert antidepressant-like action in olfactory bulbectomy model of depression in rats. Although the mechanism of the antidepressant effect of curcumin is not fully understood, it is hypothesized that it acts through inhibiting the monoamine oxidase enzyme and modulating the release of serotonin and dopamine.In randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study 40 patients will be randomized to receive either 500 mg/day of curcumin or placebo together with antidepressants for 6 weeks.

Interventions

DRUGcurcumin

500 mg/day for 6 week

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE (Subject, Caregiver)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

20 Years to 65 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Males and females in age 20-60 years Major depressive episode according to DSM-IV Clinical Global Impression Severity Scale scores more than 4 Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores more than 21 Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale scores more than 22 Ability and willingness to sign informed consent

Exclusion criteria

Evidence of organic brain damage Mental retardation Alcohol or drug abuse An unstable medical condition Any significant medical or neurological illness Patients with a known hypersensitivity to curcumin or other components of the product Pregnant women or women who intend to become pregnant Receiving any antidepressant and mood-stabilizers

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Hamilton Depression Rating Scale	Change in the scores from baseline at six weeks
Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale	Change in the scores from baseline at six weeks

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Clinical Global Impression	Change in the scores from baseline at six weeks

Countries

Israel

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026