Curcumin for the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: From Mechanism to Clinic

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by chronic symptoms, frequent relapses, and an increased risk of complications such as colorectal cancer. These qualities significantly impair patients' quality of life, and while various treatment options are available, they are often limited by inconsistent responses, unclear long-term safety, considerable individual variability, restricted drug accessibility, high costs, and the complexity of combination therapies. Such challenges thus highlight the urgent need for novel, safer, and more effective treatments. Curcumin, a natural compound with diverse biological activities, shows promise in IBD management. This review discusses the mechanisms of curcumin in IBD, highlights its multi-target regulation of both signaling pathways and various immune cell populations, and emphasizes its potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, curcumin has been shown to strengthen intestinal barrier function and modulate the intestinal microbiota. While clinical studies indicate that curcumin can improve symptoms, endoscopic findings, and laboratory markers in IBD patients, its low bioavailability remains a challenge. Recent research has focused on enhancing curcumin's stability, targeting, and bioavailability to optimize its therapeutic potential. Insights from curcumin's use in other diseases further support its potential in IBD treatment. Despite these promising findings, further high-quality clinical trials and the development of novel curcumin formulations are necessary to enable its practical clinical application in IBD.