{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,6]],"date-time":"2026-11-06T20:06:59Z","timestamp":1793995619709,"version":"4.8.0"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,7]],"date-time":"2026-01-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767744000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), Dubai Health","award":["MBRU-CM-RG2024-17"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MBRU-CM-RG2024-17"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive joint disorder affecting over 250 million people globally and is characterized by chronic pain and disability. Among its key pathogenic mechanisms are mitochondrial dysfunction and elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS), often triggered by inflammatory mediators such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This study evaluates the protective effects of curcumin on mitochondrial function, autophagy, and apoptosis in an in vitro model of OA. Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were differentiated into chondrocytes using MesenCult\u2122-ACF medium. Differentiation was confirmed by histological staining for Type II Collagen, Alcian Blue, and Toluidine Blue. LPS was used to induce an OA-like inflammatory response. Mitochondrial membrane potential (\u0394\u03a8m) was assessed using Rhodamine 123 staining. Autophagy and apoptosis were evaluated using Acridine orange and propidium iodide staining, respectively. Western blotting was performed to analyze the expression of pro-caspase-3, Bcl-2, Beclin-1, LC3-I\/II, and GAPDH. LPS significantly impaired mitochondrial function, limited autophagy, and enhanced apoptotic signaling (reduced pro-caspase-3). Curcumin (25 \u00b5M and 100 \u00b5M) restored \u0394\u03a8m, increased Beclin-1 and LC3-II, and maintained pro-caspase-3 expression, with Bcl-2 showing a non-monotonic response (higher at 25 \u00b5M than at 100 \u00b5M). Curcumin exerted cytoprotective effects in inflamed chondrocytes by stabilizing \u0394\u03a8m, promoting autophagy, and attenuating apoptotic activation, supporting its multi-target therapeutic potential in OA.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms27020609","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,7]],"date-time":"2026-01-07T11:46:43Z","timestamp":1767786403000},"page":"609","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["The Protective Role of Curcumin in Osteoarthritis: Establishing Mitochondrial Homeostasis Through Autophagy Induction and Apoptosis Inhibition"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"27","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7160-7510","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kavitha","family":"Raja","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Health, Dubai P.O. Box 505055, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rajashree","family":"Patnaik","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Health, Dubai P.O. Box 505055, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dineshwary","family":"Suresh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Health, Dubai P.O. Box 505055, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-2815-9622","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Riah","family":"Varghese","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Health, Dubai P.O. Box 505055, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Adam","family":"Eid","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Health, Dubai P.O. Box 505055, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Thomas","family":"Nau","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Health, Dubai P.O. Box 505055, United Arab Emirates"},{"name":"King\u2019s College Hospital London Dubai, Dubai P.O. Box 28171, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7546-8893","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yajnavalka","family":"Banerjee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Health, Dubai P.O. Box 505055, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0924-8796","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nerissa","family":"Naidoo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Health, Dubai P.O. Box 505055, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1317","DOI":"10.14336\/AD.2019.1116","article-title":"Infrapatellar Fat Pad and Knee Osteoarthritis","volume":"11","author":"Zeng","year":"2020","journal-title":"Aging Dis."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1145","DOI":"10.1016\/j.joca.2013.03.018","article-title":"The Epidemiology and Impact of Pain in Osteoarthritis","volume":"21","author":"Neogi","year":"2013","journal-title":"Osteoarthr. Cartil. OARS Osteoarthr. Res. Soc."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"272","DOI":"10.1080\/03008207.2025.2502591","article-title":"Mechanical insights into fat pads: A comparative study of infrapatellar and suprapatellar fat pads in osteoarthritis","volume":"66","author":"Pettenuzzo","year":"2025","journal-title":"Connect. 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