article · Pharmacological Research - Modern Chinese Medicine
Curcuma longa, widely known as turmeric, has a rich history in folk medicine for treating conditions including diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and digestive disorders. Laboratory investigations across in vitro and in vivo models confirm that turmeric and its primary constituent, curcumin, exhibit broad pharmacological actions, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, and antimicrobial effects. However, the exact modes of action and therapeutic utility of its diverse bioactive compounds remain underexplored. For pharmaceutical companies to translate these natural compounds into validated medical treatments, substantial research gaps must be addressed. Further development depends heavily on conducting human clinical trials to determine safe, effective dosages alongside establishing rigorous quality control standards to verify product consistency and safety.
Traditional herbal remedies hold potential for drug discovery, but folk use alone cannot guarantee modern medical safety or efficacy. Clarifying the biological actions of turmeric helps researchers distinguish verified health benefits from folklore, guiding the development of regulated treatments that can safely target widespread chronic conditions like diabetes, inflammation, and cancer.
Turmeric represents a candidate source for pharmaceutical industries aiming to develop targeted medicines for inflammatory, metabolic, and chronic illnesses. Commercial translation is currently at an early stage, as viable product development requires researchers and pharmaceutical developers to carry out human clinical trials and establish strict quality control measures to verify therapeutic efficacy, standardisation, and safe dosing levels.
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Curcuma longa, popularly known as Turmeric, is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant used in folk medicine for the treatment, prevention, and management of various illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, Arthritis, diarrhoea, inflammation, psoriasis, hepatobiliary diseases, gastric and peptic ulcers. This study reviewed the ethnomedicinal potentials, phytochemicals, and pharmacological activities of C. longa. In vitro and in vivo studies reported that C. longa and its major bioactive constituent (curcumin) possess various pharmacological properties. These include; anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-osteoarthritis, antidiarrheal, cardioprotective, anti-oxidative, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, anti-microbial, renoprotective and anti-inflammatory activities. This review demonstrated that the various pharmacological activities of C. longa might be attributed to the presence of numerous bioactive compounds. However, these varying potentials have not been effectively analysed for optimal application in developing new therapies. Also, the applicability and mode of action of the different bioactive compounds found in C. longa have not been fully exploited. This study showed that C. longa could be exploited by pharmaceutical industries to develop pharmaceutical products. However, there is a need for human clinical trials and quality control studies to establish effective and safe doses of C. longa and its major bioactive constituent-curcumin suitable for treating several diseases.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.prmcm.2023.100222
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