Aggarwal Bharat B. - Anti-inflammatory Nutraceuticals and Chronic Diseases

Radiation and Photochemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India

Curcumin, a natural polyphenol, is one of the most investigated biomolecules from Mother Nature. Its natural source, Curcuma longa or turmeric is used in Indian Ayurvedic and Siddha medicines and also in Chinese medicines since thousands of years []. In Ayurveda, turmeric is used to treat ailments like arthritis, sprains, open wounds, acnes, stomach upset, flatulence, dysentery, ulcers, jaundice, skin and eye infections. As a dietary agent, turmeric is regularly used as a spice and also as a coloring agent in Indian cuisine. Both turmeric and its active principle, curcumin, are permitted like other natural pigments and the food additive, E number for curcumin is E100. Depending on the origin and soil conditions, the percentage of curcuminoids in turmeric varies from 2 to 9 % of its dry weight. The word curcuminoid refers to a mixture of four polyphenols, such as curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bis-demethoxy curcumin and cyclic curcumin. Out of these, curcumin is nearly 70 % of the total curcuminoids. In addition to these curcuminoids, turmeric also contains essential oils primarily composed of mono and sesquiterpenes, like turmerones, turmerol, etc. The strong yellow color of turmeric is mainly due to curcuminoids.

Historically, the first scientific report on isolation and chemical characteristics of curcumin was made in 1815 [].

Apart from the ancient medicinal documents, early research report on therapeutic use of curcumin appears to date back to 1748; however, the first scientific document for treating human disease was reported in 1937 [], confirming the anti-inflammatory activity of curcumin by suppressing NF-B activity, the pace of curcumin research has progressed systematically. With several encouraging results in rodent models, curcumin attracted researchers all over the world, to be developed as a potent anticancer drug. As per Pubmed website, (as of October 2015) there are 8247 articles reported with the word curcumin in the title, including 808 reviews and 141 clinical trials, out of these more than half have appeared in the last 5 years. It is well accepted by the scientific community that no other botanical molecule is as efficient and as scientifically celebrated as curcumin.