Curcumin: Nutraceutical and Pharmaceutical Applications

Medicinal plants can be used for the treatment of many diseases is associated to folk medicine from different parts of the world. Natural and herbal products from some plants, fungi, bacteria’s and other organisms, continue to be used in pharmaceutical formulations either as pure compounds or as extracts. There is a great variety of compounds that can be extracted and characterized from plants, herbs and roots. One good example is the harmaline, one of the indole alkaloids found in Peganumharmala (Zygo-phyllaceae), used in the treatment of dermatosis. Extensive scientific research on curcumin, a natural compound present in the rhizomes of plant Curcuma longa Linn. The natural product curcumin (diferuloylmethane, 1,7-bis[4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl]-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione), obtained from the spice turmeric is a rhizomatous herbaceous plant belonging to the family Zingiberaceae, exhibits numerous biological activities. It is the major constituent of the oleoresin of turmeric. In the crude extract of rhizomes of C. longa about 70-76% curcumin is available along with about 16% demethoxycurcumin and 8% bisdemethoxycurcumin. Curcumin which is commonly used as a spice is also well documented for its medicinal properties in Indian and Chinese systems of medicine. It is extensively used for imparting color and flavor to the food. Extensive scientific research on curcumin had demonstrated a wide spectrum of therapeutic effects such as ant-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antitumor, antispasmodic, hepato-protective, anti-angiogenic, anti-oxidant, wound healing, anti-cancer effects, nematocidal activities, anti-protozoal activity, anti-venom activity. Recently, its potential utility in autoimmune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) had been demonstrated. A number of curcumin based pyrazoles an isoxazoles and a diazepine had been synthesized and evaluated for their antibacterial activities. Keywords: Curcumin, ant-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antitumor, antispasmodic, hepato-protective, anti-angiogenic.