Background and Purpose:
Curcuma longa is one of the most important medicinal plants used in traditional medicine. Its main compound, curcumin, has been widely reported for its biological properties.
Materials and Methods:
In this review article, its antifungal properties with a focus on the different strains of Aspergillus are discussed. The study data were obtained from various databases, including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Google Scholar, which were published by December 2019. The main criterion for entering data into the survey data was access to the English abstract at the search stage. The keywords used in the search included C. longa, curcumin, antifungal effect and Aspergillus. Of the 2,500 studies in the initial search, only 15 were qualified for study inclusion, which 9 of them (60%) had performed on the effect of curcumin against Aspergillus spp. The other 6 studies (40%) had focused on the antifungal effect of C. longa. Moreover, 9 studies (60%) were performed in vitro, 4 studies (27%) in vivo and 2 studies (13%) both in vivo and in vitro.
Results:
Studies have shown that C. longa has a significant effect on the development of the majority of microorganisms. Its predominant metabolite, curcumin, plays a major role in C. longa's biological activities.
Conclusion:
Due to increased drug resistance, particularly antifungal, curcumin and its derivatives may be an appropriate option for the treatment of aspergillosis infections.