Curcuma longa: spice or medication?

Curcuma longa (turmeric) is part of the family Zingiberaceae, grows naturally in the Indian subcontinent and tropical countries and it is very used in the Indian Ayurvedic medicine. The primary compounds of the rhizome of C. longa are curcuminoids named curcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, and demethoxycurcumin. Due to its anti-inflammatory effects, may be used in the treatment of many diseases. It can also exert effects as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, and neuroprotective. Due to the numerous benefits of C. longa, the objective of this study was to survey the therapeutic effects of this plant on some diseases common in modern societies. This review was based on bibliographic studies of in vitro studies and animal and human models. We used databases such as Pub Med, Scielo, and LILACS. Several in vitro, in vivo and clinicaltrials, have shown that Curcuma longa has several pharmacological activities with mainly anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. It may positively interfere in several locals of inflammation, reducing the production of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α, and C-reactive protein. It also inhibits the NFκB path way leading to suppression of inflammation. Therefore, it can be considered with high potential for drug development and treatment of several diseases once the allopathic medications are linked with high costs and many undesireble side effects. On the other hand, curcumin is cheap, and, due to its non-toxic properties, is not associated with side effects. For these reasons, it may become an alternative or an adjuvant in the therapeutic approach of inflammatory diseases.