Curcumin affects development of zebrafish embryo

Embryotoxic and teratogenic effects of curcumin on the development of zebrafish embryo were investigated in this study. The LD50 values of curcumin (24-h incubation) were estimated at 7.5,mu m and 5,mu m for embryos and larvae, respectively. The developmental defects caused by curcumin treatments include bent or hook-like tails, spinal column curving, edema in pericardial sac, retarded yolk sac resorption, and shorter body length. In curcumin-treated larvae, fluorescence signals of curcumin were found in edamae sac and some skin cells. Together, these results indicate that zebrafish are suitable model organisms to study the toxic effects of curcumin.