BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF CURCUMIN AND PERSPECTIVES FOR ITS PHARMACOLOGICAL USE

Curcumin, a polyphenolic pigment from Curcuma longa rhizome, possesses antioxidant properties and effectively acts on various intracellular signaling pathways, providing anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective and antiviral effects. Its efficacy and safety in cancer patients, alone or in combination with other anti-cancer drugs, has been proven in several clinical studies in humans. However, the therapeutic use of curcumin and its analogs is limited by chemical instability and low oral bioavailability, which makes relevant the use of nanotechnology for the production of new dosage forms of curcumin.