Mutual Two-Way Interactions of Curcumin and Gut Microbiota

Abstract

Curcumin, an herbal naturally occurring polyphenol, has recently been proposed for the treatment of neurodegenerative, neurological and cancer diseases due to its pleiotropic effect. Recent studies indicated that dysbiosis is associated with the abovementioned and other diseases, and gut microflora may be a new potential therapeutic target. The new working hypothesis that could explain the curative role of curcumin, despite its limited availability, is that curcumin acts indirectly on the brain, affecting the “gut–brain–microflora axis”, a complex two-way system in which the gut microbiome and its composition, are factors that preserve and determine brain health. It is therefore suspected that curcumin and its metabolites have a direct regulatory effect on gut microflora and vice versa, which may explain the paradox between curcumin’s poor bioavailability and its commonly reported therapeutic effects. Curcumin and its metabolites can have health benefits by eliminating intestinal microflora dysbiosis. In addition, curcumin undergoes enzymatic modifications by bacteria, forming pharmacologically more active metabolites than their parent, curcumin. In this review, we summarize a number of studies that highlight the interaction between curcumin and gut microbiota and vice versa, and we consider the possibility of microbiome-targeted therapies using curcumin, particularly in disease entities currently without causal treatment.

Assessing the Effects of Ginger Extract on Polyphenol Profiles and the Subsequent Impact on the Fecal Microbiota by Simulating Digestion and Fermentation In Vitro

“…Additionally, these phenolics modulated the bacterial composition with a resultant increase in SCFA synthesis. The two-way interaction between polyphenols compounds and the gut microbiota, including modulation of the gut microbiota with polyphenols and biotransformation of polyphenols by the polyphenols, which point to a new pathway in the prevention and treatment of many disease that threaten human health [ 13 , 34 , 35 , 36 ]. To date, many bioactive phenolics, such as açai [ 18 ], red wine [ 37 ], and berry [ 38 ], have demonstrated their health effects by batch colonic fermentation in vitro.…”

Evaluation of Curcumin and Copper Acetate Against Salmonella Typhimurium Infection, Intestinal Permeability, and Cecal Microbiota Composition in Broiler Chickens

“…However, in the case of the group treated with CR, the increase in Faecalibacterium, a genus of bacteria responsible for the production of butyrate and related to health bene ts in poultry, could be mainly due to the prebiotic effect of curcumin, like other substances with the same activity [74]. It has been described that CR could act as a factor of promotion, proliferation, growth, and survival for the bene cial bacteria of the intestinal microbiota from its biotransformation [75]. Finally, the bacterial genus that belong to Erysipelotrichaceae and Lachnospiraceae were signi cantly enriched in the CA-CR and CA groups, respectively.…”

Curcumin: Could This Compound Be Useful in Pregnancy and Pregnancy-Related Complications?

“…Curcumin is able to interact with a large number of molecular and cellular targets (as summarized in this recent review [ 13 ]) and regulates gene expression also by modulating epigenetic modifications (i.e., DNA methylation, histone modification, and microRNA expression) [ 23 , 24 ]. This compound, by mutually interacting with intestinal microflora, ameliorates gut microbiome dysbiosis, and influences the “gut–brain–microflora axis” to preserve and favor brain health [ 25 , 26 ]. The overall result of these different activities is the improvement in several disease states, including inflammatory, metabolic, endocrine, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, neurological, respiratory, viral, skin diseases, and cancer, as highlighted by the impressive number of in vitro and in vivo studies summarized in recent papers [ 13 , 24 , 27 , 28 ].…”