Handok, in collaboration with the Catholic University of Korea’s Joint and Immunological Disease Efficacy Evaluation Center, has announced the results of a study on the efficacy of Theracurmin Super in an animal model of osteoarthritis. The study revealed that Theracurmin Super, either alone or in combination with glucosamine, is expected to improve osteoarthritis. Theracurmin Super is a raw material that enhances the bioavailability of curcumin, showing an 85.2-fold increase compared to regular curcumin. The results of this study have been published in the December 2023 issue of the journal Natural Product Sciences.

The research involved inducing osteoarthritis in rats by intra-articular injection of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA), which causes cartilage destruction and pain, and then assessing the effects of Theracurmin Super alone or in combination with glucosamine on improving osteoarthritis.

The results indicated that Theracurmin Super, which increases the bioavailability of curcumin, significantly improved pain thresholds and weight-bearing capacity compared to the control group when administered alone or in combination with glucosamine in the MIA-induced osteoarthritis animal model. Analysis of knee joint tissues showed a reduction in the indices of cartilage loss and destruction (Total Mankin score and OARSI score) for both Theracurmin Super alone and in combination therapy, with a statistically significant decrease in OARSI score in the combination therapy group. The study also found that bone volume and surface damage were increased with both Theracurmin Super alone and in combination therapy, suggesting an inhibitory effect on cartilage damage and a protective effect on knee joints.

Theracurmin Super is a proprietary ingredient developed by Handok’s subsidiary, Theravalues, to enhance the bioavailability of curcumin. It involves breaking down the standard crystalline structure of curcumin extracted from turmeric through a high-temperature melting process, resulting in smaller particles that are stabilized into an amorphous form for better absorption. Theracurmin Super has shown to have an 85.2-fold higher bioavailability than regular curcumin and achieves the same bioavailability at half the dosage of Theravalues’ previously developed curcumin ingredient (CR-033P).