Gupta, Amit, Vij, Garima, Sharma, Sameer et al. · Immunobiology · 2009 · DOI
This study tested whether curcumin, a natural compound found in turmeric, could help reduce fatigue in mice infected with bacteria-like substances. Mice treated with curcumin showed less fatigue behavior and had lower levels of inflammation markers compared to untreated mice. The results suggest curcumin might be worth exploring as a potential treatment for ME/CFS.
This research addresses the suspected link between immune activation, oxidative stress, and ME/CFS fatigue by testing a natural compound in a controlled model system. Understanding whether curcumin can reduce inflammation and oxidative stress provides preliminary rationale for future human studies of nutritional interventions in ME/CFS.
This animal study cannot prove that curcumin is effective in humans with ME/CFS. The water-immersion stress model, while designed to mimic aspects of ME/CFS, may not fully capture the complex pathophysiology of the human condition. Results in mice do not necessarily translate to human efficacy or safety.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Gupta, Amit, Vij, Garima, Sharma, Sameer, Tirkey, Naveen, Rishi, Praveen, & Chopra, Kanwaljit (2009). Curcumin, a polyphenolic antioxidant, attenuates chronic fatigue syndrome in murine water immersion stress model.. Immunobiology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.imbio.2008.04.003
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-gupta-2009-curcumin-polyphenolic,
author = {Gupta, Amit and Vij, Garima and Sharma, Sameer and Tirkey, Naveen and Rishi, Praveen and Chopra, Kanwaljit},
title = {Curcumin, a polyphenolic antioxidant, attenuates chronic fatigue syndrome in murine water immersion stress model.},
journal = {Immunobiology},
year = {2009},
doi = {10.1016/j.imbio.2008.04.003},
note = {PubMed: 19159825},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/gupta-2009-curcumin-polyphenolic},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/gupta-2009-curcumin-polyphenolic
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