Reconnoitering the Therapeutic Role of Curcumin in Disease Prevention and Treatment: Lessons Learnt and Future Directions

Abstract

Turmeric is a plant with a very long history of medicinal use across different cultures. Curcumin is the active part of turmeric, which has exhibited various beneficial physiological and pharmacological effects. This review aims to critically appraise the corpus of literature associated with the above pharmacological properties of curcumin, with a specific focus on antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antimicrobial properties. We have also reviewed the different extraction strategies currently in practice, highlighting the strengths and drawbacks of each technique. Further, our review also summarizes the clinical trials that have been conducted with curcumin, which will allow the reader to get a quick insight into the disease/patient population of interest with the outcome that was investigated. Lastly, we have also highlighted the research areas that need to be further scrutinized to better grasp curcumin’s beneficial physiological and medicinal properties, which can then be translated to facilitate the design of better bioactive therapeutic leads.

Thermo-Sensitive Poly (N-isopropylacrylamide-co-polyacrylamide) Hydrogel for pH-Responsive Therapeutic Delivery

“…The improvement of toxic therapeutics’ delivery to cancerous tissue through the use of nanocarriers as chemotherapeutic delivery systems has been noted. To increase the solubility and stability of Cur, various kinds of nanocarriers have been created [ 3 ]. Cur can be made more stable, absorbed, and delivered to target sites by being encapsulated into bio-polymeric particles or conjugated with nanoparticles, for instance [ 4 , 5 , 6 ].…”

Recent updates on clinical developments of curcumin and its derivatives

“…Also, it did not exhibit any adverse effects even at higher doses and was found safe when administered to humans on a regular basis. Although low bioavailability of curcumin limits its therapeutic efficacy, several efforts have been made to enhance its bioavailability in the form of nanoformulations, using bio‐enhancers, and by synthesizing its water‐soluble derivatives (Sivani et al, 2022). In addition, its role as an adjuvant or in combination therapies has been found promising with reduced drug load and high efficacy in different clinical trials.…”

Progesterone Signaling and Uterine Fibroid Pathogenesis; Molecular Mechanisms and Potential Therapeutics

“…It induces apoptosis by activating caspase 3 and 9 expressions and reducing extracellular matrix-related protein expression [ 135 , 136 ]. Previous research has shown that curcumin has the ability to bind to progesterone receptors in semen, and reduce medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA)-induced VEGF secretion in breast cancer cells containing estrogen and progesterone receptors [ 137 , 138 , 139 ]. However, evidence regarding curcumin’s modulation of progesterone receptors related to UFs is currently lacking.…”