Curcumin and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: a Systematic Review

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a gynecological endocrine disorder and the leading cause of anovulatory female infertility. This study aimed to systematically review the effects of curcumin or turmeric on PCOS-related parameters. PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Knowledge databases and Google Scholar were searched up to August 2021 using relevant keywords. All original articles evaluating the effects of turmeric/curcumin on PCOS were eligible. Out of 107 documents, eight animal studies and five randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials (RCTs) assessing the impact of curcumin on PCOS met our inclusion criteria. The reviewed animal studies indicated the beneficial effects of curcumin on the management of hormonal and metabolic disturbances in the PCOS condition. These effects also were confirmed in some, but not all, included RCTs. Therefore, despite promising animal results, the present literature is limited to conclude the beneficial effects of curcumin on the clinical management of PSCO symptoms. The impact of bioavailability-improved formulations of curcumin on PCOS should be assessed in further well-designed RCTs with longer duration and higher doses of curcumin. Besides, mechanistic investigations on the effects of curcumin on PCOS are also recommended.