Clinical studies with curcumin

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Adv Exp Med Biol. 2007;595:471-80.

Clinical studies with curcumin.

Hsu CH, Cheng AL.

Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei.

Curcumin has long been expected to be a therapeutic or preventive

agent for several major human diseases because of its antioxidative,

anti-inflammatory, and anticancerous effects. In phase I clinical

studies, curcumin with doses up to 3600-8000 mg daily for 4 months

did not result in discernible toxicities except mild nausea and

diarrhea.

The pharmacokinetic studies of curcumin indicated in general a low

bioavailability of curcumin following oral application.

Nevertheless, the pharmacologically active concentration of curcumin

could be achieved in colorectal tissue in patients taking curcumin

orally and might also be achievable in tissues such as skin and oral

mucosa, which are directly exposed to the drugs applied locally or

topically.

The effect of curcumin was studied in patients with rheumatoid

arthritis, inflammatory eye diseases, inflammatory bowel disease,

chronic pancreatitis, psoriasis, hyperlipidemia, and cancers.

Although the preliminary results did support the efficacy of

curcumin in these diseases, the data to date are all preliminary and

not conclusive.

It is imperative that well-designed clinical trials, supported by

better formulations of curcumin or novel routes of administration,

be conducted in the near future.