Electroanalytical study of the antioxidant and antitumor agent curcumin

Curcumin (CU) shows a wide range of pharmacological properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor effects. In order to understand the chemical basis of different activities of curcumin, we have studied the oxidation and reduction of curcumin. Based on cyclic and differential pulse voltammetric methods, using carbon paste and hanging mercury drop electrodes, in the present study we tested different parameters to optimize the conditions for the determination of curcumin and its electrochemical characteristics. Better results were obtained via differential pulse voltammetry using carbon paste electrode. Curcumin yields well-defined differential pulse voltammetric responses with well-defined oxidation (in the potential region of 0.3-0.6 V, vs. Ag/AgCl) and reduction (at 0.3 V) peaks using carbon paste electrode.