Abstract:Aim To study the effects of cucurmin on the metabolism of low density lipoprotein and lipoprotein (a). Methods Cucurmin was injected into the body of hedgehogs via the armpit vein 2 minutes before the 125 iodine low density lipoprotein ( 125 ?I-LDL), 125 iodine lipoprotein(a) ( 125 I-Lp(a)), 125 iodine desialylated low density lipoprotein ( 125 I-ds-LDL) or 125 iodine desialylated lipoprotein(a) ( 125 I-ds Lp(a)) were injected. The animals were put to death in 1 hour. The radioactivity of 125 I-LDL, 125 I-Lp(a), 125 I-ds-LDL and 125 I-dsLp(a) in the blood, liver, kidney, spleen, gall and adrenal were measured . Results Experiments showed that the absorption of LDL in liver, adrenal and gall increased 228.1%, 86.7% and 70.3% respectively, but decreased 54.4% in spleen and 25.8% in blood. The effects of cucurmin on Lp(a) were similar to that on LDL. The absorption of Lp(a) in liver and adrenal increased 34.7% and 43.1% respectively, but decreased 34.8% in kidney and 19.2% in blood. The absorption of ds-LDL in liver, kidney, adrenal and blood decreased 15.1%, 43.6%, 68.2% and 31.8% respectively, but increased 31.7% in gall. Cucurmin has slightly effects on the metabolism of ds Lp(a). Conclusion Experiments proved that cucurmin may promote the metabolism of LDL and Lp(a) in liver and adrenal, increase excretion of LDL by gall and inhibit the absorption of LDL in spleen. It make the concentration of LDL and Lp(a) in blood decrease and achieve the effects of lowering lipids and antiatherosclerosis.