This review revealed that curcumin treatment can be considered as a supplementary remedy for prevention of oxidative stress, inflammation, and immunomodulatory disorders. The literatures support the candidacy of this compound as a possible prospective natural drug and raise the possibility of recruiting curcumin in future therapeutic regimens.

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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related death, and hence there is a need for the identification of novel-agents to improve the efficacy of existing therapies. There is growing evidence for the antitumor activity of crocin, although its activity and molecular mechanisms in CRC remains to be elucidated. Here we explored the therapeutic application of crocin or its combination with 5-flurouracil in a mouse model of colitis-associated colon cancer. The antiproliferative activity of crocin was assessed in two-dimensional and three-dimensional cell-culture models. The migratory behaviors were determined, while the expression levels of several genes were assessed by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction/Western blot analysis. We examined the anti-inflammatory properties of crocin by pathological evaluation and disease-activity index as well as oxidative or antioxidant markers: malondialdehyde (MDA) and total-thiols (T-SH) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity. Crocin suppressed cell-growth and the invasive behavior of CRC cells through modulation of the Wnt-pathway and E-cadherin. Moreover, administration of crocin alone, or in combination with 5-FU dramatically reduced the tumor number and tumor size in both distal/mid-colon followed by reduction in disease-activity index. Crocin also suppressed the colonic inflammation induced by dextran-sulfate-sodium and notably recovered the increased levels of MDA, decreased thiol levels and activity of CAT levels. Crocin was able to ameliorate the severe inflammation with mucosal ulcers and high-grade dysplastic crypts as detected by inflammation score, crypt loss, pathological changes and histology scores. We demonstrated an antitumor activity of crocin in CRC and its potential role in improvement of inflammation with mucosal ulcers and high-grade dysplastic crypts, supporting the desireability of further investigations on the therapeutic potential of this approach in CRC.

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway controls cell energy metabolism. There is an interplay between mTOR and proinflammatory signaling pathways, supporting the role of the pathway in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. Inhibition of mTOR signaling using specific pharmacological inhibitors could offer therapeutic promise in several inflammatory-associated diseases. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the regulatory effects of mTOR signaling on inflammation and the therapeutic potency of mTOR pharmacological inhibitors in the treatment of inflammatory diseases including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, atherosclerosis, sepsis, and rheumatoid arthritis for a better understanding and hence a better management of these diseases.

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a common chronic inflammatory and T cell‐mediated autoimmune disease in which the oral mucosa, tongue, and gingiva are involved. Different treatments have been suggested to reduce the symptoms of this disease. Currently, a common treatment for OLP is the use of corticosteroids as the gold standard, although they have considerable side effects. The chronicity of the disease needs the long‐term use of these drugs with ensuing side effects. Therefore, various studies have been done to find an alternative and effective treatment. The use of herbal medicine as an alternative therapy with antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties seems promising. Hence, this review study was done to summarize the efficiency of different herbal medicine in the treatment of OLP.