CURCUMIN: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF IT'S POTENTIAL AGAINST CANCER AND ASSOCIATED COMPLICATIONS

ABSTRACT

Curcumin, a bioactive polyphenolic chemical obtained from the rhizome of Curcuma longa, or turmeric, has drawn a lot of interest due to its strong pharmacological characteristics, especially its potential to treat cancer.  Curcumin's capacity to alter several cellular signalling pathways implicated in the development, spread, and metastasis of cancer has been extensively studied.  It has anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects on lung, prostate, breast, and colorectal malignancies, among other cancer types.  Curcumin downregulates oncogenes, increases the expression of tumour suppressor genes, and interferes with transcription factors including NF-κB and STAT3.  Curcumin can also make tumour cells more susceptible to traditional chemotherapy and radiation, increasing treatment effectiveness and lowering side effects.  Curcumin's quick metabolism, low systemic absorption, and poor bioavailability hinder its clinical translation despite its promising pharmacodynamics. Recent developments include liposomal encapsulation, curcumin analogues that improve stability and bioefficacy, and nanoparticle formulations to address these issues.  Curcumin reduces cancer-related side effects such oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic dysregulation in addition to its direct anticancer actions.  It is a promising addition in integrative cancer therapy due to its broad-spectrum biological actions and safety profile.  To fully realise curcumin's therapeutic promise against cancer and its consequences, more research into optimised formulations, dosage standardisation, and carefully planned clinical studies are necessary.

Keywords

Curcumin, Cancer, Anticancer mechanisms, Inflammation, Nanoparticles, Bioavailability.