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REVIEW article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Ethnopharmacology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1509045
Pharmacological Effects, Formulations, and Clinical Research Progress of Curcumin
Provisionally accepted- School of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Da Lian, China
Curcumin, a polyphenolic compound derived from the traditional Chinese medicine turmeric, which has a variety of pharmacological effects, including anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiviral properties. However, its clinical application is hindered by low solubility and bioavailability. To overcome these limitations, researchers have developed various formulations such as nanoformulations, solid dispersions, and microspheres. These advancements have led to improved therapeutic effects and have facilitated the progression of clinical research, primarily focusing on Phase I and Phase II trials for conditions like diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in Phase III and IV clinical trials, particularly concerning oral and dental diseases and arthritis. This article reviews recent literature from both domestic and international sources, providing a comprehensive overview of curcumin's research progress, including its pharmacological mechanisms, formulation developments, and clinical studies.
Keywords: Curcumin, formulation, Pharmacological effect, clinical research, review
Received: 10 Oct 2024; Accepted: 03 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Hao, Zhang, Wang and Hu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Chungang Zhang, School of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Da Lian, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.