Curcumin and Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Biological Mechanisms and Clinical Implication

Abstract

Increased recognition of the limits of conventional medicine has helped drive the growing interest in complementary and alternative medicine which is now being commonly used in patients with chronic diseases, including individuals with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Recently, scientific interest has unraveled the beneficial pharmacological effects of curcumin. We present an updated concise review of currently available in vitro, animal and clinical studies demonstrating the therapeutic effect of herbal medication in inflammatory bowel disease.

Protective effects of curcumin against genotoxicity induced by 131-iodine in human cultured lymphocyte cells

“…Curcumin has been reported to have several beneficial health effects, including anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antioxidant, anticancer, and radiosensitizer. [24252627282930] Curcumin has been shown to affect several cell signaling pathways, including apoptosis (activation of caspases and downregulation of anti-apoptotic gene products), proliferation (HER-2, EGFR, and AP-1), angiogenesis (VEGF), and inflammation (NF-κB, TNF, IL-6, IL-1, COX-2, and 5-LOX). [24] Also, it has been shown to sensitize human cancer cells to gamma radiation, which is a dual benefit effect of curcumin in patients for cancer therapy.…”

Combination Therapy for Ulcerative Colitis: Orally Targeted Nanoparticles Prevent Mucosal Damage and Relieve Inflammation

“…Meanwhile, curcumin (CUR), a hydrophobic molecule isolated from the rhizome of turmeric, is known for its numerous attractive pharmacological effects (e.g. anti-inflammatory and wound-healing activities) 18. In addition, CUR has the capacity to reduce mucosal neutrophil infiltration and control the signal transduction pathways involved in inflammatory responses 19.…”

Application of ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry to identify curcumin metabolites produced by human intestinal bacteria

“…Curcumin is a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of a wide variety of human diseases, including cancer [2,3], immune deficiencies [4], cardiovascular health [5], Alzheimer's [6], diabetes [7], arthritis [8], and Crohn's disease [9], due to its beneficial activities and lack of toxicity. However, despite its potential health benefits, the use of curcumin is limited by poor aqueous solubility, intense staining color, and extremely low oral bioavailability.…”