TY  - JOUR
T1  - Proven Health Benefits of Curcumin as a Medicinal Herb
AU - Drakhshandeh, Katayoun AU - berenjian, Kaveh 
JO  - International Journal of Tropical Medicine
VL  - 11
IS  - 6
SP  - 226
EP  - 231
PY  - 2016
DA  - 2001/08/19
SN  - 1816-3319
DO  - ijtmed.2016.226.231
UR  - https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=ijtmed.2016.226.231
KW  - Curcumin
KW  -drugs
KW  -effects
KW  -curcumin
KW  -morphology
AB  - Curcumin, a phytonutrient extracted from the rhizome of Curcuma longa has been found to possess
potent pharmacological effects from antioxidant properties to anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial/antiviral and even
cancer chemopreventive effects. Since there have been no reports about the toxicity, genotoxicity or
teratogenicity of curcumin, this natural phenolic compound has been extensively used as a safe agent in
numerous preclinical and clinical studies. Several studies have evaluated the effects of curcumin as a natural
anti-inflammatory agent, on the proliferation of blood mononuclear cells and vascular smooth muscle cells
based on tritiated thymidine uptake. Curcumin has been proved to suppress mitogen-induced proliferation of
blood mononuclear cells and inhibit neutrophil activation, smooth muscle cell proliferation and mixed
lymphocyte reaction. Recent research on animal models of cancer has also confirmed the cancer
chemopreventive properties of curcumin. A previous study on azoxymethane-induced colon, small intestine
and stomach cancers in mice reported the reduced incidence and size of tumors following the dietary
administration of 0.5-2% curcumin. The beneficial effects of curcumin can be attributed to its effects on cellular
enzymes and ability to regulate gene transcription and induce apoptosis. Moreover, daily administration of
curcumin (300-800 mg/day) for 21 days was associated with symptom relief in 67 patients with biliary disease.
Curcumin can regulate the activity of various enzymes through either direct interaction (e.g. ,cyclooxygenase-2,
5-lipoxygenase and inducible nitric oxide synthase) or regulation of gene transcription via the inhibition of
transcription factors (e.g., adaptor protein complex 1, early growth response factor-1 and STAT-3) and their
related signaling pathways. The beneficial effects of curcumin have been documented by numerous animal
studies and human clinical trials. This phytonutrient can downregulate blood cholesterol levels, prevent platelet
aggregation and myocardial infarction, alleviate the symptoms of type II diabetes and decrease the
complications of several diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease.
It can also be useful in the treatment of both acute and chronic inflammations. Studies on chemically induced
rodent models of colitis have confirmed the benefits of curcumin in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.
In fact, this phenolic compound was found to significantly reduce mortality, enhance local cytokine and
chemokine production, promote neutrophil infiltration and improve colonic morphology.
ER  -