Curcumin as a therapeutic agent: the evidence from<i>in vitro</i>, animal and human studies
Abstract
<jats:p>Curcumin is the active ingredient of turmeric. It is widely used as a kitchen spice and food colorant throughout India, Asia and the Western world. Curcumin is a major constituent of curry powder, to which it imparts its characteristic yellow colour. For over 4000 years, curcumin has been used in traditional Asian and African medicine to treat a wide variety of ailments. There is a strong current public interest in naturally occurring plant-based remedies and dietary factors related to health and disease. Curcumin is non-toxic to human subjects at high doses. It is a complex molecule with multiple biological targets and different cellular effects. Recently, its molecular mechanisms of action have been extensively investigated. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. Under some circumstances its effects can be contradictory, with uncertain implications for human treatment. While more studies are warranted to further understand these contradictions, curcumin holds promise as a disease-modifying and chemopreventive agent. We review the evidence for the therapeutic potential of curcumin from<jats:italic>in vitro</jats:italic>studies, animal models and human clinical trials.</jats:p>
Journal
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- British Journal of Nutrition
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British Journal of Nutrition 103 (11), 1545-1557, 2010-01-26
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
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Details 詳細情報について
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- CRID
- 1363670320935190912
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- ISSN
- 14752662
- 00071145
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- Data Source
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- Crossref