The effects of a traditional drug, turmeric (Curcuma longa), and placebo on the healing of duodenal ulcer.

In a joint Vietnam-Sweden prospective double-blind two-center study, the herbal remedy of Curcuma longa (turmeric) - in a dosage of 6 g daily as suggested in the Vietnamese pharmacopoeia - was compared with an equal amount of placebo in 118 patients, suffering from duodenal ulcer. The patients in the two groups were well matched prior to treatment. Clinical assessments were carried out weekly, while laboratory investigations were carried out before beginning of the treatment and after four and eight weeks: Only patients, having one duodenal ulcer with a minimum diameter of 5 mm verified by endoscopy (Uong Bi General Hospital, UBGH) and/or radiography (UBGH and Viet Due University Hospital, VDUH) not more than 4 days prior the study were included in the study.

Identification of dekamycin antibiotics.

Dekamycin was isolated from strain DK5 of Streptomyces fradiae, and purified by ion-exchange column chromatography. Excellent separation of N-acetylated derivatives of the antibiotic mixture was achieved by two different methods, flash chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. Mass spectrometry (252Cf plasma desorption mass spectrometry, fast atom bombardment) for the analysis of N-acetyldekamycins (neomycin B, neomycin C, neamine and ribostamycin) was mainly used to confirm the molecular weight of a structure deduced by 1H and 13C NMR analyses.