Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026
09:50
Enhanced Photoluminescence of Curcuma longa Extracts via Chitosan-Mediated Energy Transfer for Textile Authentication Applications
Published on: December 22, 2023
Clinical utility of curcumin extract
1Department of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. gasher@med.unc.edu
Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine
|April 19, 2013
Summary
Turmeric
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Natural Medicine
- Integrative Oncology
Background:
- Turmeric root, utilized for millennia in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine.
- Active compounds, curcuminoids (primarily curcumin), are widely available as standardized extracts.
- Curcumin's anti-inflammatory and antineoplastic properties are subjects of extensive research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of curcuminoids.
- To examine potential adverse effects, dosage, and standardization of curcumin extracts.
- To synthesize findings from preclinical and early clinical human trials.
Main Methods:
- Review of preclinical studies on curcumin's mechanisms of action.
- Analysis of early-phase human clinical trials for various health conditions.
- Evaluation of reported adverse effects and theoretical drug interactions.
Main Results:
- Preclinical data suggest potent anti-inflammatory and antineoplastic activities.
- Early human trials indicate potential benefits for dyspepsia, peptic ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, uveitis, and pancreatic cancer.
- Curcumin is generally well-tolerated, with nausea and diarrhea as most common side effects; significant drug interactions are not clinically supported.
Conclusions:
- Curcumin exhibits promising anti-inflammatory and antineoplastic properties.
- Further late-phase clinical trials are necessary to confirm therapeutic efficacy for various conditions.
- While generally safe, caution is advised when combining with chemotherapy agents.
