Curcumin, a natural compound found in turmeric, was studied for its effects on kidney damage caused by contrast dye in rats. The researchers divided rats into groups treated with curcumin, contrast dye, or a combination. They found that curcumin helped protect the kidneys from damage caused by the dye by upregulating a protective enzyme called heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Rats treated with curcumin had lower levels of kidney damage and higher HO-1 expression compared to rats not treated with curcumin. This suggests that curcumin may have potential in preventing contrast-induced kidney injury by boosting the protective enzyme HO-1.