EVIDENCE BASED VALIDATION OF CURCUMIN: FROM SCULLERY TO APOTHECARY
Ashiru Anees Yau, V. S. Mahalwal and Aparna Datta*
ABSTRACT
Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) has been extensively studied in modern medicine while being an important part of Asian culture, owing to its use in various traditional medicine systems like Unani, Ayurveda and Siddha due to its array of medicinal properties since centuries. So far, 133 species of Curcuma have been identified throughout the world. The constituents of the plant have pharmacological or biological activity that have been exploited in pharmaceutical drug discovery and drug design. However, not much of the formulations have been employed due to its low bioavailability. Curcumin, the predominant curcumoid in turmeric, influences multiple signaling pathways and been found to possess anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, antimicrobial, hypoglycemic, wound healing, chemopreventive, chemosensitising and radio-sensitizing properties. Turmeric also has a latent role in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. This paper discusses on evidence-based systematic review while evaluating the reported studies on various medicinal properties of the plant. Ways on which to improve its bioavailability have also been reported after rigorous research and summarized.
Keywords: Curcumin, Herbal, Antimicrobial, Bioavailabilty, Antioxidant.
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