RESEARCH - Curcumin: the Indian solid gold

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Adv Exp Med Biol. 2007;595:1-75.

Curcumin: the Indian solid gold.

Aggarwal BB, Sundaram C, Malani N, Ichikawa H.

Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas M.D.

Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

Turmeric, derived from the plant Curcuma longa, is a gold-colored

spice commonly used in the Indian subcontinent, not only for health

care but also for the preservation of food and as a yellow dye for

textiles. Curcumin, which gives the yellow color to turmeric, was

first isolated almost two centuries ago, and its structure as

diferuloylmethane was determined in 1910. Since the time of Ayurveda

(1900 Bc) numerous therapeutic activities have been assigned to

turmeric for a wide variety of diseases and conditions, including

those of the skin, pulmonary, and gastrointestinal systems, aches,

pains, wounds, sprains, and liver disorders. Extensive research within

the last half century has proven that most of these activities, once

associated with turmeric, are due to curcumin. Curcumin has been shown

to exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial,

antifungal, and anticancer activities and thus has a potential against

various malignant diseases, diabetes, allergies, arthritis,

Alzheimer's disease, and other chronic illnesses. These effects are

mediated through the regulation of various transcription factors,

growth factors, inflammatory cytokines, protein kinases, and other

enzymes. Curcumin exhibits activities similar to recently discovered

tumor necrosis factor blockers (e.g., HUMIRA, REMICADE, and ENBREL), a

vascular endothelial cell growth factor blocker (e.g., AVASTIN), human

epidermal growth factor receptor blockers (e.g., ERBITUX, ERLOTINIB,

and GEFTINIB), and a HER2 blocker (e.g., HERCEPTIN). Considering the

recent scientific bandwagon that multitargeted therapy is better than

monotargeted therapy for most diseases, curcumin can be considered an

ideal " Spice for Life " .

PMID: 17569205

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17569205

Not an MD