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Abstract
Curcumin is a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound present in rhizome of Curcuma
longa belonging to the family zingiberaceae. Growing experimental evidence revealed
that curcumin exhibit multitarget biological implications signifying its crucial role
in health and disease. The current review highlights the recent progress and mechanisms
underlying the wide range of pharmacological effects of curcumin against numerous
diseases like neuronal, cardiovascular, metabolic, kidney, endocrine, skin, respiratory,
infectious, gastrointestinal diseases and cancer. The ability of curcumin to modulate
the functions of multiple signal transductions are linked with attenuation of acute
and chronic diseases. Numerous preclinical and clinical studies have revealed that
curcumin modulates several molecules in cell signal transduction pathway including
PI3K, Akt, mTOR, ERK5, AP-1, TGF-β, Wnt, β-catenin, Shh, PAK1, Rac1, STAT3, PPARγ,
EBPα, NLRP3 inflammasome, p38MAPK, Nrf2, Notch-1, AMPK, TLR-4 and MyD-88. Curcumin
has a potential to prevent and/or manage various diseases due to its anti-inflammatory,
anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic properties with an excellent safety profile. In contrast,
the anti-cancer effects of curcumin are reflected due to induction of growth arrest
and apoptosis in various premalignant and malignant cells. This review also carefully
emphasized the pharmacokinetics of curcumin and its interaction with other drugs.
Clinical studies have shown that curcumin is safe at the doses of 12 g/day but exhibits
poor systemic bioavailability. The use of adjuvant like piperine, liposomal curcumin,
curcumin nanoparticles and curcumin phospholipid complex has shown enhanced bioavailability
and therapeutic potential. Further studies are warranted to prove the potential of
curcumin against various ailments.