TURMERIC FROM ANCIENT USES TO MODERN MEDICINAL SYSTEM

Turmeric derived from the plant Curcuma longa, is a gold-colored spice commonly used in the Indian subcontinent, not only for health care but also for the preservation of food and as a yellow dye for textiles. Curcumin, which gives the yellow color to turmeric, was first isolated almost two centuries ago, and its structure as diferuloylmethane was determined in 1910.

Since the time of Ayurveda (19OOBc) numerous therapeutic activities have been assigned to turmeric for a wide variety of diseases and conditions, including those of the skin, pulmonary, and gastrointestinal systems, aches, pains, wounds, sprains, and liver disorders. Extensive research within the last half century has proven that most of these activities, once associated with turmeric, are due to curcumin. 

Curcumin has been shown to exhibit antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer activities and thus has a potential against various malignant diseases, diabetes, allergies, arthritis, Alzheimer’s diseases, and other chronic illnesses. 

In-vitro and In-vivo research has shown various activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antifungal, cytokines release, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, enhancing of the apoptotic process, and antiangiogenic properties. Curcumin also have been shown to be a mediator of chemo-resistance and radio-resistance. Various in-vitro and in-vivo and scarce number of clinical studies on curcumin were identified.

 The various effects and properties of curcumin are summarized in this review, including preclinical and especially clinical studies. The data reviewed indicate that extracts of Curcuma longa exhibit anti-inflammatory activity after parenteral application in standard animal models used for testing anti-inflammatory activity. It turned out that curcumin and the volatile oil are at least in part responsible for this action. It appears that when given orally Systemic effects therefore seem to be questionable after oral application except that they occur at very low concentrations of curcumin. This does not exclude a local action in the gastrointestinal tract.