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Review
. 2024 Jan 4:15:37-50.
doi: 10.3762/bjnano.15.4. eCollection 2024.

Curcumin-loaded nanostructured systems for treatment of leishmaniasis: a review

Douglas Dourado  1 , Thayse Silva Medeiros  2 , Éverton do Nascimento Alencar  3 , Edijane Matos Sales  4 , Fábio Rocha Formiga  1   5
Affiliations
Review

Curcumin-loaded nanostructured systems for treatment of leishmaniasis: a review

Douglas Dourado et al. Beilstein J Nanotechnol. .

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease that has affected more than 350 million people worldwide and can manifest itself in three different forms: cutaneous, mucocutaneous, or visceral. Furthermore, the current treatment options have drawbacks which compromise efficacy and patient compliance. To face this global health concern, new alternatives for the treatment of leishmaniasis have been explored. Curcumin, a polyphenol obtained from the rhizome of turmeric, exhibits leishmanicidal activity against different species of Leishmania spp. Although its mechanism of action has not yet been fully elucidated, its leishmanicidal potential may be associated with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, it has limitations that compromise its clinical use. Conversely, nanotechnology has been used as a tool for solving biopharmaceutical challenges associated with drugs, such as curcumin. From a drug delivery standpoint, nanocarriers (1-1000 nm) can improve stability, increase solubility, promote intracellular delivery, and increase biological activity. Thus, this review offers a deep look into curcumin-loaded nanocarriers intended for the treatment of leishmaniasis.

Keywords: Curcuma longa; antiparasitic; curcuminoids; leishmaniasis; nanocarriers; neglected tropical diseases.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical structure of curcumin.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Possible mechanisms of action of curcumin against leishmaniasis. Created with BioRender.com (https://biorender.com/). This content is not subject to CC BY 4.0.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Overall scheme demonstrating curcumin-loaded nanostructured systems that have been assayed in vitro and/or in vivo against different Leishmania species for the treatment of leishmaniasis. Created with BioRender.com (https://biorender.com/). This content is not subject to CC BY 4.0.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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