Decursinol-50™ for PAIN
and MORE
by Dallas Clouatre, Ph.D.
Decursinol-50™ is the new kid on the block with regard to reducing inflammation and joint pain. It is a natural extract that has become immensely popular in parts of Asia for conditions for which Americans normally would take aspirin or another nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID). Decursinol exhibits at least one advantage over most of the current crop of natural alternatives in that it is an analgesic, which is to say, it offers a degree of direct pain relief. More interesting still, Decursinol may help to protect the brain against some of the assaults that we associate with aging, such as beta-amyloid development.
Joint pain and inflammation are common conditions that bedevil most of us at some point or another, whether we are an athlete who over did it at the gym or a grandparent with morning stiffness. How common is joint pain? Well, osteoarthritis, the most prevalent arthritic condition, already is present to some extent, although usually without overt symptoms, in perhaps 90 percent of all individuals over the age of 40. This condition becomes troublesome typically only in the mid-to-late 60s. Nevertheless, some 20 million individuals in this country currently suffer from clinically significant osteoarthritic symptoms (estimates range from 5–10 percent of all Americans), and this figure will continue to climb with the graying of the populace.
Statistics tell much of the story of current interest in joint supplements, but not all. The tens of millions of individuals who now do or potentially may suffer from joint problems have many more options than were available even twenty years ago. For most of the last century, there were few nutritional solutions available to address osteoarthritis. Recall that aspirin was a great “wonder drug” when it was introduced at the end of the nineteenth century. An important development over the last score of years has been the realization that conditions such as osteoarthritis need not be considered a part of “normal aging”.¹
The primary approaches to promoting joint and cartilage health are a) reduction in inflammation and b) improvements in the production of new cartilage. Below are a few of the items commonly recommended—note that a direct analgesic effect is not found with these compounds:
- Glucosamine and Chondroitin—found in various forms, these primarily increase the rate of repair of joint tissues; especially useful with manganese and vitamin C
- S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe)—shows anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving and increased rate of repair of joint tissue
- Silicon—especially as orthosilicic acid, improves formation of extracellular matrix components, increases the rate of collagen and cartilage formation
- Vitamin C—this old stand-by substantially reduces the risk of progression of osteoarthritis
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids—sources include fish oils, New Zealand green lipped mussels, and flax seeds, with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) perhaps being most active as an anti-inflammatory; reduces proteoglycan degradation enzyme activities
- Bromelain and other proteolytic enzymes—reduce pain and inflammation
- Harpagophytum procumbens (devil’s claw) extract—anti-inflammatory
- Boswellia serrata (boswellia) extract—anti-inflammatory
- Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)—a source of organic sulfur; improves cartilage repair and may lead to reduced pain
Decursinol is both a stand-alone alternative to various other natural solutions for maintaining joint health and a good addition to these. It is a coumarin compound and an all-natural analgesic extracted from the dried roots of Korean angelica (Angelica gigas Nakai) and related species. These extracts traditionally have been used as an analgesic (also referred to as a antinociceptive or pain-relieving property) and anti-inflammatory preparation to relieve joint discomfort and bruising. Indeed, Korean angelica has been used in Eastern medicine for these purposes for over a thousand years.
Double-blinded clinical studies of Decursinol conducted by the Mapo Pain Clinic have demonstrated a reduction in the discomfort of joint pain with no adverse side affects. At least some of its benefits are mediated through receptors in the central nervous system (CNS). In addition, Decursinol showed effectiveness in managing joint-damaging inflammation and improved the quality of life in osteoarthritic patients. Sixty-eight percent of the non-placebo group with a history of chronic degenerative joint arthritis showed reductions in pain. Especially when combined with glucosamine, Decursinol supports natural healing of damaged joint tissues. Preliminary research indicates that this compound may reduce the beta-amyloid peptide known to affect memory. Decursinol already is used widely in South Korea.
Let’s take a closer look at the phase I clinical trial. In this double-blinded, placebo-controlled study conducted at Mapo Pain Clinic in Korea (2000–2001), patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 40 subjects receiving Decursionl. Of these, 20 exhibited osteoarthritis and 20 exhibited tissue trauma pain. The second group of 40 subjects exhibited the same symptoms and received placebo. About 70 percent of the subjects in Group 1 (receiving the Decursinol) showed significant improvement in just 14 days. Symptom improvement was assessed with the VAS score (visual analog scores), which is a gold standard measurement of pain-relief. The VAS score of the patient group receiving Decursinol was substantially lower than the VAS of the placebo group. The difference was judged to be clinically significant. One explanation for the benefits found is that Decursinol positively modulates acetylcholine esterase activity in the brain or that pain relief may be mediated by noradrenergic, serotonergic, adenosine A (2), histamine H (1) and H (2) receptors.² In other words, several mechanisms may be involved.
Obviously, it is good to help control pain, but it is even better to help control the inflammation that often is at the root of joint pain. A more advanced phase II clinical trial helped to show that Decursinol does just that. In a phase II double-blinded clinical trial, Korean angelica demonstrated the ability to relieve symptoms of acute and chronic pain up to three times better than a leading pain medication. Decursin, a coumarin closely related to decursinol and also found in the root of Korean angelica, similarly has been shown to inhibit inflammation by blocking a substance known as nuclear factor-kappaB.³
Researchers, having shown that Decursinol is active in the brain, understandably looked further to find out if the compound offered other types of benefits. Two such benefits subsequently came to life. First, scientists found that a type of toxicity to neuronal tissues linked to excessive stimulation by glutamate is reduced by Decursinol-50.&sup4; Second, the memory impairment associated with beta-amyloid plaque is reduced, according to an animal model, when Decursinol is routinely ingested orally.&sup5; This, needless to say, is a finding of interest to most of us who are growing older.
So there you have it: Decursinol is a newly available natural approach to reducing pain in general as well as reducing excessive inflammation. This is good news for joint health, but the benefits do not end with the joints. Unlike with the NSAIDs so commonly used to treat pain, with Decursinol there are no issues or problems for the gastrointestinal tract. Depending on body mass and metabolism Decursinol is working on acute pain within 60–90 minutes and for chronic pain swelling is showing results within 6–8 days. Data shows continued performance with long term use along with success in combining with other ingredients. These facts make Decursinol a great choice for joint and cartilage health and beyond.
Additional technical information on Decursinol-50™ is available at JLM Industries technical Web site: www.jlmNutraIngredients.com.
References:
- Cote LG. Management of Osteoarthritis. J Am Acad Nurse Pract. 2001 Nov;13(11):495–501.
- Hong-Won Suh, et.al, “Antinociceptive Mechanism of Orally Administered Decursinol in the Mouse”, Life Sciences, 2003, 73(4), 471–85; S-S Choi, et al, “Antinociceptive Profiles of Crude Extract from Roots of Angelica gigas Nakai in Various pain Models”, Biol. Pharm. Bull. 2003, 26 (9), 1283–8; Ji-Hae Kim, et al. “Pharmacokinetic Study of Decursinol Following Oral Administration in Rat”, J. Kore. Pharm. Sci., 2003, 33 (3), 195–9.
- Kim JH, Jeong JH, et al. Decursin inhibits induction of inflammatory mediators by blocking nuclear factor-kappaB activation in macrophages. Mol Pharmacol. 2006 Jun;69(6):1783–90.
- Kang SY, Kim YC. Decursinol and decursin protect primary cultured rat cortical cells from glutamate-induced neurotoxicity. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2007 Jun;59(6):863–70.
- Ibid.
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