Recent developments in curcumin and curcumin based polymeric materials for biomedical applications: A review

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology and Natural Products
• Biomedical Science
• Material Science

Background:

• Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a spice with a long history in traditional medicine.
• Curcumin, the active compound, possesses diverse pharmacological effects including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
• Despite its benefits, curcumin's therapeutic use is limited by poor bioavailability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent biomedical applications of curcumin-based materials.
• To highlight curcumin's potential in various health conditions.
• To discuss strategies for overcoming curcumin's bioavailability issues.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recently published papers on curcumin-based materials.
• Analysis of studies demonstrating curcumin's in vitro and in vivo activities.
• Examination of formulation strategies to enhance curcumin delivery.

Main Results:

• Curcumin shows significant antioxidant, anti-diabetic, antimicrobial, neuroprotective, and anti-cancer activities.
• Applications include wound healing, depression treatment, and carcinoma therapy.
• Various methods like encapsulation and complex formation improve curcumin bioavailability.

Conclusions:

• Curcumin-based materials offer promising therapeutic potential across multiple biomedical fields.
• Overcoming bioavailability limitations is crucial for maximizing curcumin's clinical efficacy.
• Further research into novel delivery systems is warranted for curcumin applications.