A Systematic Review of the Clinical Use of Curcumin for the Management of Gastrointestinal Diseases

The impact of curcumin on migraine: A comprehensive review

Migraine, a neurovascular condition, is a chronic and lifelong disease that affects about 15% of the population worldwide. Although the exact pathophysiology and etiology of migraine are still unclear, oxidative stress, inflammation, and neuroendocrine imbalances are identified as the critical risk factors for migraine attacks. Curcumin is an active component and a polyphenolic diketone compound extracted from turmeric. Curcumin is a promising candidate for preventing and controlling migraine due to its anti‑inflammatory, antioxidative, anti-protein aggregate, and analgesic effects. In the present review, we have evaluated experimental and clinical studies investigating the impact of liposomal curcumin and nano-curcumin on the frequency and severity of migraine attacks in patients. Although the results are promising, more studies should be conducted in this area to show the exact efficacies of curcumin on clinical symptoms of migraine and investigate its potential mechanisms.

Curcumin-piperine co-supplementation and human health: A comprehensive review of preclinical and clinical studies

Curcumin is extracted from the rhizomes Curcuma longa L. It is known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities. Despite its safety and potential for use against various diseases, curcumin's utility is restricted due to its low oral bioavailability. Co-administration of curcumin along with piperine could potentially improve the bioavailability of curcumin. The present review aimed to provide an overview of the efficacy and safety of curcumin-piperine co-supplementation in human health. The findings of this comprehensive review show the beneficial effects of curcumin-piperine in improving glycemic indices, lipid profile and antioxidant status in diabetes, improving the inflammatory status caused by obesity and metabolic syndrome, reducing oxidative stress and depression in chronic stress and neurological disorders, also improving chronic respiratory diseases, asthma and COVID-19. Further high-quality clinical trial studies are needed to firmly establish the clinical efficacy of the curcumin-piperine supplement.

Old but Fancy: Curcumin in Ulcerative Colitis-Current Overview

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). It is a chronic autoimmune inflammation of unclear etiology affecting the colon and rectum, characterized by unpredictable exacerbation and remission phases. Conventional treatment options for UC include mesalamine, glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants, and biologics. The management of UC is challenging, and other therapeutic options are constantly being sought. In recent years more attention is being paid to curcumin, a main active polyphenol found in the turmeric root, which has numerous beneficial effects in the human body, including anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, and antioxidative properties targeting several cellular pathways and making an impact on intestinal microbiota. This review will summarize the current knowledge on the role of curcumin in the UC therapy.

The comparison of curcuminoid formulations or its combination with conventional therapies versus conventional therapies alone for knee osteoarthritis

BACKGROUND

Presently, curcuminoid formulations or its combination with conventional therapies has been used for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Nevertheless, evidence is limited due to small-sized clinical trials. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of curcuminoid formulations or its combination with conventional therapies for KOA.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trials comparing curcuminoid formulations or its combination with conventional therapies versus conventional therapies, such as non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and chondroitin sulfate/glucosamine, were searched from databases.

RESULTS

In total, 14 studies involving 1533 patients were included. Curcuminoid formulations were comparative to NSAIDs in reducing Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), total Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score, and WOMAC score for pain/stiffness/physical function. No significant difference was seen between the two groups in terms of patients' satisfaction index, patients' global assessment, reduction of several inflammatory factor, rate of drug compliance, and rescue medication. Notably, curcuminoid formulations combined with NSAIDs significantly reduced VAS and WOMAC/Knee injury and OA Outcome Score (KOOS) pain score more than NSAIDs did. In addition, the curcuminoid formulations were superior to chondroitin sulfate/glucosamine in reducing VAS, total WOMAC score, and WOMAC score for stiffness/difficulty in physical function, while no significant difference was seen in reducing WOMAC pain score and Karnofsky Performance Scale score.

CONCLUSIONS

Curcuminoid formulations may be considered a promising alternative for treating KOA. Key points • Curcuminoid formulations are comparative to NSAIDs for KOA. • Curcuminoid formulations are superior to chondroitin sulfate/glucosamine for KOA. • Curcuminoid formulations could provide additional benefits in alleviating pain and some adverse events caused by NSAIDs.