Curcumin Protects Membranes through a Carpet or Insertion Model Depending on Hydration

Curcumin is the main ingredient in turmeric, a common Indian spice. Curcumin shows a broad spectrum of effects, including anti-Alzheimer’s and antioxidant properties. An interaction between curcumin and lipid membranes has been speculated as the root cause of this activity, and the molecule is often proposed to protect the bilayer. However, the detailed molecular mechanism of this protection is disputed. There is evidence that curcumin either (a) lies flat on the bilayer and provides a “carpet” for protection by forming a steric barrier, or (b) inserts into the membrane and stiffens tails, thereby protecting against peptide insertion. We studied the interaction between curcumin and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) bilayers at different concentrations using high-resolution X-ray diffraction and molecular dynamics (MD) computer simulations. We observed curcumin molecules forming a carpet in dehydrated bilayers, whereas in hydrated membranes the curcumin molecules were found to insert into ...