Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 Feb 4;24(1):e156983.
doi: 10.5812/ijpr-156983. eCollection 2025 Jan-Dec.

Curcumin as a Natural Therapeutic Agent: A Rapid Review of Potential Clinical Uses and Mechanisms of Action

Mohammad Mohajeri  1 , Reza Momenai  2 , Somayyeh Karami-Mohajeri  1 , Mandana Ohadi  3 , Mohammad Amin Raeisi Estabragh  4
Affiliations
Review

Curcumin as a Natural Therapeutic Agent: A Rapid Review of Potential Clinical Uses and Mechanisms of Action

Mohammad Mohajeri et al. Iran J Pharm Res. .

Abstract

Context: Curcumin, a natural compound derived from the rhizome of the turmeric plant, exhibits various pharmacological and therapeutic effects through distinct cellular and molecular mechanisms.

Evidence acquisition: Given the therapeutic applications and pharmacological properties of curcumin, it is essential to explore its pharmacological effects for potential use in clinical research. Notably, curcumin demonstrates significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties. Importantly, no side effects or specific toxicity have been reported for curcumin.

Results: Curcumin, as a natural compound, can be utilized as a drug supplement in treatment regimens for various diseases. Numerous clinical studies have indicated that curcumin enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs or mitigates their side effects when used concurrently.

Conclusions: This review presents an overview of studies conducted on the pharmacological effects and therapeutic properties of curcumin.

Keywords: Anti-cancer; Anti-inflammatory; Antioxidant; Curcumin; Pharmacological Effects; Therapeutic Properties.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. The chemical structure of curcumin
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Some pathways that curcumin effects on them, with some changes from the article of Farghadani and Naidu (74).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Mohajeri M, Rezaee M, Sahebkar A. Cadmium-induced toxicity is rescued by curcumin: A review. Biofactors. 2017;43(5):645–61. doi: 10.1002/biof.1376. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Mohajeri M, Bianconi V, Avila-Rodriguez MF, Barreto GE, Jamialahmadi T, Pirro M, et al. Curcumin: a phytochemical modulator of estrogens and androgens in tumors of the reproductive system. Pharmacol Res. 2020;156:104765. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104765. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Mohajeri M, Behnam B, Cicero AFG, Sahebkar A. Protective effects of curcumin against aflatoxicosis: A comprehensive review. J Cell Physiol. 2018;233(4):3552–77. doi: 10.1002/jcp.26212. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Shakeri A, Cicero AFG, Panahi Y, Mohajeri M, Sahebkar A. Curcumin: A naturally occurring autophagy modulator. J Cell Physiol. 2019;234(5):5643–54. doi: 10.1002/jcp.27404. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Gupta SC, Patchva S, Koh W, Aggarwal BB. Discovery of curcumin, a component of golden spice, and its miraculous biological activities. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2012;39(3):283–99. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1681.2011.05648.x. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources