Curcumin as a potential therapeutic option for NAFLD and other metabolic diseases: need for establishing the underlying mechanism(s) of action

Excerpt

The natural polyphenol, curcumin, the most widely studied component of the Asian spice Turmeric, is shown to have potent anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-neoplastic activities [1‐4]. These varied beneficial effects have been largely examined using cell culture-based assays in vitro where curcumin is in direct contact with the target cells. However, limited oral bioavailability of curcumin and levels of curcumin or its metabolites in systemic circulation below the detection limits of most analytical methods hinder the establishment of a cause–effect relationship between orally administered curcumin and the observed beneficial effects in vivo [5]. Furthermore, results from several small-scale clinical studies/trials have not been entirely consistent complicating an already difficult problem. Nonetheless, ever increasing published data and widespread recognition of curcumin as a dietary supplement warrant a systematic review of existing literature, preferably in the context of a specific disease process. …