CURCUMIN ACTIVITY AS A PHYTOTHERAPEUTIC AGENT IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF SQUAMOUS CELL CANCER: A SCOPING REVIEW

Objective: To analyze the phytotherapeutic action of curcumin (CUR) in the prevention of and antineoplastic therapy for squamous cell cancer (SCC). Study Design: Two researchers (E.G.F.S. and Y.L.N.) performed electronic searches independently on Medline via PubMed, LILACS, and Web of Science using the search strategy (curcumin AND oral cancer). A total of 967 initial results were identified, and 21 articles were selected for the study. Results: CUR is a bioactive polyphenol component with chemopreventive, photodynamic, and therapeutic properties in the treatment of SCC. A study analyzed the performance of nanocurcumin as a chemoprotective agent, increasing the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins compared with the group treated with chemotherapeutic agents, demonstrating that the association of CUR with chemotherapeutic agents can improve apoptosis in malignant cells, thereby regulating the mortality rate of cancer cells. Analyzing the use of nanoformulations, a study revealed that the pharmaceutical association of CUR and silicon nanoparticles increased cell absorption by 5 times that compared to free CUR, thereby increasing its photodynamic activity and having a better effect on oral malignancies. Conclusion: Recent preclinical studies recommend the use of CUR related to adjuvants as the main unit in antitumor activity, however, additional research studies are needed to clarify its molecular mechanism.