Curcumin in the Treatment of Various Diseases: Mechanism of Action, Bioavailability, Therapeutic Effects, and Current Clinical Trials.
Abstract
Curcumin is a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiapoptotic, and anticancer properties. Numerous studies have demonstrated that curcumin can regulate multiple molecular targets, including signaling pathways such as Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88)/nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT), PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1)/Parkin, Parkin, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/antioxidant response element (ARE). Notably, curcumin exhibits therapeutic potential in a variety of diseases, including neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, inflammatory diseases, and autoimmune diseases. Its mechanisms of action are associated with the suppression of inflammation, regulation of mitochondrial dysfunction, inhibition of apoptosis, attenuation of oxidative stress, and enhancement of neuroplasticity. However, the extremely low oral bioavailability of curcumin limits its application in disease therapy. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in curcumin research, including its pharmacological properties, molecular mechanisms of action, and nanodelivery systems, such as nanoparticles, liposomes, nanoemulsions, polymeric micelles, and exosomes, which have been developed to enhance curcumin bioavailability. Furthermore, this review provides an in-depth overview of the therapeutic benefits of curcumin in neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, inflammatory diseases, and autoimmune diseases. It focuses on evidence from in vitro studies, in vivo experiments, and potential clinical applications, while also discusses the therapeutic potential, current challenges, and future perspectives of curcumin in disease management.
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