Synergistic effect of curcumin and piperine in suppression of DENA-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in rats

•Curcumin and piperine combination lowered the liver injury markers.•Curcumin and piperine combination reduced gross and histopathological liver changes.•Curcumin and piperine combination increased the cell apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma.•Curcumin and piperine combination reduced the cell proliferation in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Curcumin has been reported to suppress different types of clinical and experimentally-induced tumors, but due to less absorption and quick metabolism it show poor bioavailability. The present study was envisaged to investigate the possible synergistic effect of combined treatment of curcumin with piperine in suppression of diethylnitrosamine (DENA)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in rats, owing to permeability enhancing effect of latter. HCC was induced by supplying DENA (0.01%) in drinking water for 10 weeks. The rats were treated with curcumin (100 mg/kg; p.o.) per se and curcumin along with piperine (20 mg/kg; p.o.) for 4 weeks post HCC induction. The combined treatment significantly attenuated the morphological, histopathological, biochemical, apoptotic and proliferative changes in the liver and serum in comparison to curcumin per se and vehicle control group. The results of present study concluded that curcumin in combination with piperine shows better suppression of DENA-induced HCC in contrast to curcumin per se.