Common spice turmeric has been used for centuries in making Eastern and Middle Eastern dishes. Turmeric, also known for its medicinal properties has been used in these regions for healing and treating various ailments.
Scientists are often making new discoveries about the virtue of turmeric and recently they found a new one.
An ingredient present in turmeric is vital in treating burns and scalds. This ingredient is Curcumin which gives the yellow spice its healing properties and its colour.
The new study reports the effect of applying Topical Curcumin Gel for treating burns and scalds and emphasizes that the use of the topical gel for treating burns and scalds works differently and more effectively when compared to taking Curcumin tablets by mouth for other conditions.
Wound healing after significant burns always results in scarring and involves a series of complex biological processes.
Wounds resulting from burns and scalds are usually inclined to result in scar tissue formation which can often be unsightly.
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Current therapies for thermal burns include sprays, skin and pedicle grafts, grafting and reconstructive surgery. Other less invasive therapies include compression therapy. Most of these therapy methods have not lead to satisfactory results leaving patients with scars and inadequate functioning.
In this report which was based on the use of Curcumin gels on three patients who were treated after burns and scalds, the researcher found that the Curcumin gel lessened the severity of the injury, reduced pain and inflammation and improved healing. This resulted in less scarring or even no scarring of the affected skin.
Based on studies that the researcher has conducted for over 25 years, the researcher notes that Curcumin is a natural inhibitor of an enzyme called phosphorylase kinase which makes it effective in burns and scalds.
This enzyme in humans is vital to many functions including in wound healing which is an important process that takes place after injury. It enables the healing of tissues. The wound healing process goes through a sequence of acute and chronic inflammatory events during which there is pain, redness, swelling and then healing which often results in scars after burns or scalds.
This wounding healing process starts with the release of phosphorylase kinase within 5 minutes after the injury. This then activates over 200 genes which are involved in the process.
Curcumin gel seems to work better because it comes in direct contact with the skin and the gel preparation allows the Curcumin to penetrate the skin and inhibit phosphorylase kinase which results in inflammation reduction.
The researcher had previously reported similar healing benefits of Curcumin gel in post-surgical scars.
With this new research, turmeric has found another very important use for its many healing properties.
Source: BioDiscovery
