Therapeutic potential of curcumin in ARDS and COVID‐19

Abstract

Curcumin is a safe, non‐toxic, readily available and naturally occurring compound, an active constituent of Curcuma longa (turmeric). Curcumin could potentially treat diseases, but faces poor physicochemical and pharmacological characteristics. To overcome these limitations, we developed a stable, water‐soluble formulation of curcumin called cyclodextrin‐complexed curcumin (CDC). We have previously shown that direct delivery of CDC to the lung following lipopolysaccharides exposure reduces acute lung injury (ALI) and effectively reduces lung injury, inflammation and mortality in mice following Klebsiella pneumoniae . Recently, we found that administration of CDC led to a significant reduction in angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 expression in gene and protein levels following pneumonia, indicating its potential in treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). In this review, we consider the clinical features of ALI and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and the role of curcumin in modulating the pathogenesis of bacterial/viral‐induced ARDS and COVID‐19.

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“…It is sold as herbal supplements, cosmetic ingredients, food flavoring, and coloring. Its medicinal properties have been known for thousands of years [ 51 ]. Curcumin has a wide range of therapeutic effects that make it an excellent candidate for use as adjuvant therapy in the treatment of patients with COVID-19.…”

“…By regulating NF-κB signaling, curcumin effectively suppresses the NLRP3 inflammasome, whose critical role is emphasized by recent studies in the immunopathogenesis of severe COVID-19, especially in patients with an increased risk of the disease (e.g., diabetes and obesity). Inflammasome activation can form a severe ‘cytokine storm,’ which causes acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and, eventually, death [ 51 ]. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a central transcription factor that regulates the antioxidant defense system and is considered a modifier for several inflammatory diseases.…”

“…Procoagulant and pro-thrombotic events are recurrent in patients with COVID-19 and can cause significant damage [ 51 ]. Pawar et al (2021) noticed that when curcumin is combined with antivirals and other blood thinners, those medications display higher efficacy.…”

“…Curcumin presents potent antiviral effects which have been shown by its significant binding affinity towards SARS-CoV-2 proteins [ 53 ]. Modelling studies showed that curcumin inhibits the S-protein-ACE2 interaction in two ways [ 51 ]. Curcumin can either bind directly to the receptor binding domain of viral S-proteins or secure ACE2 receptors of the host cell.…”

“…Reduces proinflammatory cytokines, modulates NLRP3 inflammasome, and activates Nrf2 pathway [ 51 , 57 ].…”