CurcuVET® is a unique, patented curcumin product available exclusively from ThorneVET. For centuries people throughout Asia have benefited from the healthful effects of curcumin. Curcumin is the orange pigment in turmeric (the primary ingredient in curry) and is an antioxidant that offers numerous health benefits including for joint health, hepatic support, gastrointestinal health, and cardiovascular function – by helping to maintain the animal's normal cytokine balance.

CurcuVET is a unique curcumin extract that is significantly better absorbed than other curcumin extracts. Whether taken as a supplement or from food, curcumin is generally poorly absorbed into the bloodstream. Scientists at Indena S.p.A., the worldwide experts in botanical extract technology, have uncovered the key to curcumin absorption – phytosome technology. Phytosomes are plant extracts bound to phospholipids,  essential components of cell membranes. When taken orally, phospholipids are very well absorbed. By attaching a curcumin molecule to a phospholipid, the curcumin is ushered across the cell membrane for superior absorption.

A 2007 study published in the journal, Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology, demonstrated the superior bioavailability of curcumin phytosome (as Meriva®, the CurcuVET equivalent for humans) compared to ordinary curcumin. Liver levels of curcumin were also higher with this supplementation. In a more recent, randomized, single-blind, crossover study in nine humans, total curcuminoid bioavailability as evaluated by the plasma area under the curve (AUC) was about 29-fold higher for Meriva than for the conventional turmeric extract.

Studies demonstrate CurcuVET supports a healthy inflammatory response in small animals and horses. A recent European canine study found CurcuVET was effective in helping to maintain a healthy cytokine balance.

An equine study on the effect of CurcuVET on cytokine gene expression found significant down-regulation of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-1RN in mares and inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2, TNF-α, and IL-1RN and increase in IL-6 in foals.

Similar results were achieved in an eight-month human trial of Meriva. Enhanced joint health was reflected in improvements in both clinical and biochemical end points.

Curcumin has demonstrated its potential to help maintain the animal's normal inflammatory response in the GI tract. In numerous animal studies, curcumin has shown the ability to help maintain healthy intestinal mucosa under various adverse conditions. Among the effects noted in the various trials have been decreased nuclear factor-kappaB, nitric oxide, and free radicals in the colonic mucosa.

Several studies have illustrated curcumin's hepatoprotective effects, leading researchers to suggest its use supports the liver against exogenous insults from environmental toxins. Curcumin also has the capacity to increase both the flow and solubility of bile. Curcumin's hepatoprotective effects are due in part to direct free radical scavenging; but curcumin also enhances the animal's natural antioxidant system, which increases glutathione levels, thereby aiding in hepatic detoxification and inhibiting nitrosamine formation.