Curcumin / ROS Cancer Research Results

CUR, Curcumin: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:
Curcumin is the main active ingredient in Turmeric. Member of the ginger family.Curcumin is a polyphenol extracted from turmeric with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
- Has iron-chelating, iron-chelating properties. Ferritin. But still known to increase Iron in Cancer cells.
- GSH depletion in cancer cells, exhaustion of the antioxidant defense system. But still raises GSH↑ in normal cells.
- Higher concentrations (5-10 μM) of curcumin induce autophagy and ROS production
- Inhibition of TrxR, shifting the enzyme from an antioxidant to a prooxidant
- Strong inhibitor of Glo-I, , causes depletion of cellular ATP and GSH
- Curcumin has been found to act as an activator of Nrf2, (maybe bad in cancer cells?), hence could be combined with Nrf2 knockdown
-may suppress CSC: suppresses self-renewal and pathways (Wnt/Notch/Hedgehog).

Curcumin — Curcumin is a turmeric-derived polyphenolic curcuminoid and diarylheptanoid from Curcuma longa, functionally best classified as a natural-product small molecule / nutraceutical candidate with pleiotropic redox, inflammatory, transcriptional, metabolic, and chemosensitizing activity. The standard abbreviation is CUR. It is the principal active pigment of turmeric rhizome, usually studied as purified curcumin, curcuminoid mixtures, turmeric extract, phytosomal curcumin, liposomal curcumin, nanoparticle curcumin, or piperine-enhanced formulations. Its oncology relevance is mechanistically broad but clinically constrained by poor aqueous solubility, rapid metabolism, low free systemic exposure, formulation variability, and insufficient well-powered cancer outcome trials.

Primary mechanisms (ranked):

  1. Suppression of NF-κB / STAT3 inflammatory-survival signaling, reducing cytokine, COX-2, iNOS, anti-apoptotic, invasion, and treatment-resistance programs.
  2. Biphasic redox modulation: ROS buffering in normal/inflamed tissue but ROS↑, GSH depletion, thioredoxin reductase disruption, and oxidative stress amplification in susceptible cancer models at sufficient exposure.
  3. Mitochondrial injury and intrinsic apoptosis, including mitochondrial membrane potential loss, cytochrome-c release, caspase activation, PARP cleavage, and ER-stress/UPR involvement.
  4. PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK pathway modulation, contributing to growth arrest, autophagy modulation, apoptosis sensitization, and reduced survival signaling.
  5. Wnt/β-catenin, Hedgehog/GLI, Notch, and cancer-stem-cell suppression, reducing stemness, EMT, invasion, and recurrence-associated phenotypes in models.
  6. Hypoxia / HIF-1α and glycolysis inhibition, including reduced GLUT1, HK2, LDHA, PKM2, lactate/ECAR, and Warburg-like metabolic support in selected models.
  7. Anti-angiogenic and anti-metastatic modulation, including VEGF, MMPs, uPA, CXCR4/SDF-1, TGF-β/α-SMA, FAK, and EMT-related axes.
  8. Epigenetic and transcriptional reprogramming, including reported HDAC, DNMT, EZH2, Sp-family, p53, and microRNA-related effects.
  9. NRF2 modulation: generally cytoprotective in normal cells but potentially protective for cancer cells when NRF2 is activated; NRF2 suppression/knockdown can increase curcumin-induced ROS stress in some tumor models.
  10. Chemosensitization and radiosensitization, with parallel normal-tissue protective signals reported in some mucositis, dermatitis, oxidative-stress, and radioprotection contexts.

Bioavailability / PK relevance: Conventional oral curcumin has poor systemic bioavailability because of low solubility, low absorption, rapid conjugation, and rapid elimination. Oral trials have used doses up to gram-level daily dosing, but circulating free curcumin is typically low; measured plasma exposure often reflects conjugated curcumin. Piperine, phospholipid/phytosome, micellar, liposomal, nanoparticle, and other enhanced formulations can raise exposure, but each formulation should be treated as a distinct translational entity. Delivery constraints are central for oncology interpretation.

In-vitro vs systemic exposure relevance: Common in-vitro anticancer concentrations, often in the low-to-mid micromolar range and sometimes higher, frequently exceed achievable free plasma exposure from standard oral curcumin. Therefore, direct systemic anticancer claims from cell culture should be weighted cautiously unless supported by tissue-local exposure, enhanced formulation data, local delivery, IV/liposomal delivery, or clinically measured pharmacodynamic biomarkers.

Clinical evidence status: Preclinical evidence is extensive; human oncology evidence is mainly small human, biomarker, pilot, chemoprevention, adjunctive, symptom-management, and formulation trials. Current authoritative oncology summaries judge evidence inadequate to recommend curcumin-containing products as cancer treatment or as routine adjunct anticancer therapy, although symptom-support areas such as oral mucositis, radiation dermatitis, oxidative-status measures, and quality of life have more suggestive but still confirmatory-level evidence.


Clinical studies testing curcumin in cancer patients have used a range of dosages, often between 500 mg and 8 g per day; however, many studies note that doses on the lower end may not achieve sufficient plasma concentrations for a therapeutic anticancer effect in humans.
• Formulations designed to improve curcumin absorption (like curcumin combined with piperine, nanoparticle formulations, or liposomal curcumin) are often employed in clinical trials to enhance its bioavailability.

-Note half-life 6 hrs.
BioAv is poor, use piperine or other enhancers
Pathways:
- induce ROS production at high concentration. Lowers ROS at lower concentrations
curcumin can act as a pro-oxidant when blue light is applied
- ROS↑ related: MMP↓(ΔΨm), ER Stress↑, UPR↑, GRP78↑, Cyt‑c↑, Caspases↑, DNA damage↑, cl-PARP↑, HSP↓
- Lowers AntiOxidant defense in Cancer Cells: GSH↓ Catalase↓ HO1↓ GPx↓
but conversely is known as a NRF2↑ activator in cancer
- Raises AntiOxidant defense in Normal Cells: ROS↓">ROS↓, NRF2↑, SOD↑, GSH↑, Catalase↑,
- lowers Inflammation : NF-kB↓, COX2↓, p38↓, Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines : TNF-α↓, IL-6↓, IL-8↓
- inhibit Growth/Metastases : TumMeta↓, TumCG↓, EMT↓, MMPs↓, MMP2↓, MMP9↓, uPA↓, VEGF↓, NF-κB↓, CXCR4↓, SDF1↓, TGF-β↓, α-SMA↓, ERK↓
- reactivate genes thereby inhibiting cancer cell growth : HDAC↓, DNMT1↓, DNMT3A↓, EZH2↓, P53↑, HSP↓, Sp proteins↓,
- cause Cell cycle arrest : TumCCA↑, cyclin D1↓, CDK2↓, CDK4↓, CDK6↓,
- inhibits Migration/Invasion : TumCMig↓, TumCI↓, ERK↓, EMT↓, TOP1↓, TET1↓,
- inhibits glycolysis /Warburg Effect and ATP depletion : HIF-1α↓, PKM2↓, cMyc↓, GLUT1↓, LDHA↓, HK2↓, PFKs↓, PDKs↓, HK2↓, ECAR↓, OXPHOS↓, GRP78↑, GlucoseCon↓
- inhibits angiogenesis↓ : VEGF↓, HIF-1α↓, Notch↓, FGF↓, PDGF↓, EGFR↓, Integrins↓,
- inhibits Cancer Stem Cells : CSC↓, CK2↓, Hh↓, GLi1↓, CD133↓, CD24↓, β-catenin↓, n-myc↓, sox2↓, OCT4↓,
- Others: PI3K↓, AKT↓, JAK↓, STAT↓, Wnt↓, β-catenin↓, AMPK↓, ERK↓, JNK, TrxR**,
- Synergies: chemo-sensitization, chemoProtective, RadioSensitizer, RadioProtective, Others(review target notes), Neuroprotective, Cognitive, Renoprotection, Hepatoprotective, CardioProtective,

- Selectivity: Cancer Cells vs Normal Cells

Curcumin Cancer Mechanism Ranking

Rank Pathway / Axis Cancer Cells Normal Cells TSF Primary Effect Notes / Interpretation
1 NF-κB / STAT3 inflammatory survival signaling NF-κB ↓; STAT3 ↓; IL-6/TNF-α/COX-2/iNOS ↓; Bcl-2/Bcl-xL/survivin programs ↓ Inflammatory tone ↓; tissue-protective anti-inflammatory effect likely context-dependent R/G Reduced survival, inflammation, invasion, and therapy-resistance signaling Most central and industry-relevant axis; explains many downstream effects but is not curcumin-specific.
2 Biphasic redox stress and antioxidant buffering ROS ↑ (dose-dependent); GSH ↓; antioxidant reserve ↓; oxidative apoptosis ↑ ROS ↓; NRF2/SOD/GSH/catalase/HO-1 often ↑ in stress models R/G Selective redox pressure in susceptible tumor cells with normal-cell protection in lower-stress settings Direction depends strongly on concentration, formulation, light exposure, basal redox state, and tumor antioxidant capacity.
3 Thioredoxin reductase and GSH linked redox systems TrxR inhibition or redox cycling ↑; GSH depletion ↑; oxidative stress ↑ Usually buffered or antioxidant response ↑ at non-toxic exposure R/G Collapse of tumor redox compensation Mechanistically important for ROS amplification and radiosensitization; achievable exposure remains a major constraint.
4 Mitochondrial depolarization and intrinsic apoptosis ΔΨm ↓; cytochrome-c ↑; caspase-3/9 ↑; PARP cleavage ↑; apoptosis ↑ Generally ↔ or protected under oxidative/inflammatory stress R/G Execution of apoptosis after upstream redox and survival-signal disruption Central cytotoxic endpoint in many cell models; often downstream of ROS, ER stress, AKT/mTOR suppression, or p53 modulation.
5 PI3K / AKT / mTOR and autophagy balance PI3K ↓; AKT ↓; mTOR ↓; survival signaling ↓; autophagy ↑ or mixed Stress-adaptive autophagy ↔ or ↑ (context-dependent) R/G Growth suppression and apoptosis sensitization Autophagy may be cytotoxic or protective depending on model and timing; combination logic may require autophagy-state interpretation.
6 Wnt / β-catenin / Hedgehog / Notch stemness signaling β-catenin ↓; GLI/Hedgehog ↓; Notch ↓; CD133/CD44/OCT4/SOX2-like stemness markers ↓ Generally ↔; possible normal stem-cell effects are tissue/context-dependent G Reduced cancer stemness, EMT, self-renewal, and recurrence-associated phenotypes Important for anti-metastatic and anti-CSC positioning; evidence is mainly preclinical.
7 HIF-1α / glycolysis / Warburg metabolism HIF-1α ↓; GLUT1 ↓; HK2 ↓; LDHA ↓; PKM2 ↓; lactate/ECAR ↓; ATP stress ↑ Metabolic effects ↔ or adaptive; normal-cell toxicity depends on exposure G Reduced hypoxic adaptation and glycolytic energy support Mechanistically relevant but formulation and tissue exposure are critical; hypoxic tumors may be more relevant than normoxic cell culture.
8 EMT / invasion / metastasis matrix axis EMT ↓; MMP2/MMP9 ↓; uPA ↓; FAK ↓; CXCR4/SDF-1 ↓; migration/invasion ↓ Inflammation-linked remodeling ↓; wound-healing effects context-dependent G Anti-invasive and anti-metastatic phenotype Strongly supported in models; clinical anti-metastatic efficacy is not established.
9 VEGF / angiogenesis / hypoxia interface VEGF ↓; HIF-1α ↓; angiogenic signaling ↓ Angiogenesis modulation ↔ or ↓ (context-dependent) G Reduced tumor vascular-support signaling Overlaps with NF-κB, HIF-1α, STAT3, and inflammatory cytokine suppression.
10 Epigenetic and transcriptional reprogramming HDAC ↓; DNMT1/3A ↓; EZH2 ↓; Sp proteins ↓; p53 ↑ or restored in selected models Broad transcriptional effects possible; selectivity uncertain G Reactivation of growth-control and differentiation-associated programs Biologically plausible but highly model-dependent; direct target specificity is lower than pathway-level interpretation.
11 Ferroptosis and iron redox stress Iron/redox stress ↑; lipid peroxidation ↑; GPX4/GSH axis may ↓ (model-dependent) Iron-chelation and antioxidant protection may occur (context-dependent) R/G Potential ferroptosis contribution in susceptible tumor models Curcumin can behave as an iron chelator, antioxidant, or pro-oxidant depending on exposure, formulation, and cancer redox context.
12 NRF2 cytoprotection risk NRF2 ↑ may protect tumor cells; NRF2 depletion can enhance curcumin-induced ROS stress in some models NRF2 ↑ supports antioxidant and anti-inflammatory tissue protection G Dual-edged stress-response modulation Important caution for antioxidant matrix use: NRF2 activation is favorable in normal-cell protection but may be undesirable in NRF2-addicted tumors.
13 Chemosensitization and radiosensitization Chemo response ↑; radiation response ↑; apoptosis ↑; resistance pathways ↓ Chemo/radiation injury may ↓ in mucositis, dermatitis, and oxidative-stress contexts R/G Adjunct sensitization with possible normal-tissue protection Attractive translational axis, but clinical evidence remains mainly pilot/small-study; interaction risk should be checked per regimen.
14 Clinical Translation Constraint Free systemic exposure often insufficient for direct cytotoxic extrapolation from in-vitro micromolar data Enhanced formulations may improve exposure but may also alter safety, liver-risk profile, and interaction potential G Bioavailability and formulation dominate translational interpretation Separate ordinary curcumin, turmeric extract, piperine-enhanced, phytosomal, micellar, liposomal, nanoparticle, and IV/liposomal products where possible.

TSF legend:

P: 0–30 min

R: 30 min–3 hr

G: >3 hr
ROS, Reactive Oxygen Species: Click to Expand ⟱
Source: HalifaxProj (inhibit)
Type:
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are highly reactive molecules that contain oxygen and can lead to oxidative stress in cells. They play a dual role in cancer biology, acting as both promoters and suppressors of cancer.
ROS can cause oxidative damage to DNA, leading to mutations that may contribute to cancer initiation and progression. So normally you want to inhibit ROS to prevent cell mutations.
However excessive ROS can induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells, potentially limiting tumor growth. Chemotherapy typically raises ROS.
-mitochondria is the main source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (and the ETC is heavily related)

"Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are two electron reduction products of oxygen, including superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical, lipid peroxides, protein peroxides and peroxides formed in nucleic acids 1. They are maintained in a dynamic balance by a series of reduction-oxidation (redox) reactions in biological systems and act as signaling molecules to drive cellular regulatory pathways."
"During different stages of cancer formation, abnormal ROS levels play paradoxical roles in cell growth and death 8. A physiological concentration of ROS that maintained in equilibrium is necessary for normal cell survival. Ectopic ROS accumulation promotes cell proliferation and consequently induces malignant transformation of normal cells by initiating pathological conversion of physiological signaling networks. Excessive ROS levels lead to cell death by damaging cellular components, including proteins, lipid bilayers, and chromosomes. Therefore, both scavenging abnormally elevated ROS to prevent early neoplasia and facilitating ROS production to specifically kill cancer cells are promising anticancer therapeutic strategies, in spite of their contradictoriness and complexity."
"ROS are the collection of derivatives of molecular oxygen that occur in biology, which can be categorized into two types, free radicals and non-radical species. The non-radical species are hydrogen peroxide (H 2O 2 ), organic hydroperoxides (ROOH), singlet molecular oxygen ( 1 O 2 ), electronically excited carbonyl, ozone (O3 ), hypochlorous acid (HOCl, and hypobromous acid HOBr). Free radical species are super-oxide anion radical (O 2•−), hydroxyl radical (•OH), peroxyl radical (ROO•) and alkoxyl radical (RO•) [130]. Any imbalance of ROS can lead to adverse effects. H2 O 2 and O 2 •− are the main redox signalling agents. The cellular concentration of H2 O 2 is about 10−8 M, which is almost a thousand times more than that of O2 •−".
"Radicals are molecules with an odd number of electrons in the outer shell [393,394]. A pair of radicals can be formed by breaking a chemical bond or electron transfer between two molecules."

Recent investigations have documented that polyphenols with good antioxidant activity may exhibit pro-oxidant activity in the presence of copper ions, which can induce apoptosis in various cancer cell lines but not in normal cells. "We have shown that such cell growth inhibition by polyphenols in cancer cells is reversed by copper-specific sequestering agent neocuproine to a significant extent whereas iron and zinc chelators are relatively ineffective, thus confirming the role of endogenous copper in the cytotoxic action of polyphenols against cancer cells. Therefore, this mechanism of mobilization of endogenous copper." > Ions could be one of the important mechanisms for the cytotoxic action of plant polyphenols against cancer cells and is possibly a common mechanism for all plant polyphenols. In fact, similar results obtained with four different polyphenolic compounds in this study, namely apigenin, luteolin, EGCG, and resveratrol, strengthen this idea.
Interestingly, the normal breast epithelial MCF10A cells have earlier been shown to possess no detectable copper as opposed to breast cancer cells [24], which may explain their resistance to polyphenols apigenin- and luteolin-induced growth inhibition as observed here (Fig. 1). We have earlier proposed [25] that this preferential cytotoxicity of plant polyphenols toward cancer cells is explained by the observation made several years earlier, which showed that copper levels in cancer cells are significantly elevated in various malignancies. Thus, because of higher intracellular copper levels in cancer cells, it may be predicted that the cytotoxic concentrations of polyphenols required would be lower in these cells as compared to normal cells."

Majority of ROS are produced as a by-product of oxidative phosphorylation, high levels of ROS are detected in almost all cancers.
-It is well established that during ER stress, cytosolic calcium released from the ER is taken up by the mitochondrion to stimulate ROS overgeneration and the release of cytochrome c, both of which lead to apoptosis.

Note: Products that may raise ROS can be found using this database, by:
Filtering on the target of ROS, and selecting the Effect Direction of ↑

Targets to raise ROS (to kill cancer cells):
• NADPH oxidases (NOX): NOX enzymes are involved in the production of ROS.
    -Targeting NOX enzymes can increase ROS levels and induce cancer cell death.
    -eNOX2 inhibition leads to a high NADH/NAD⁺ ratio which can lead to increased ROS
• Mitochondrial complex I: Inhibiting can increase ROS production
• P53: Activating p53 can increase ROS levels(by inducing the expression of pro-oxidant genes)
• Nrf2 inhibition: regulates the expression of antioxidant genes. Inhibiting Nrf2 can increase ROS levels
• Glutathione (GSH): an antioxidant. Depleting GSH can increase ROS levels
• Catalase: Catalase converts H2O2 into H2O+O. Inhibiting catalase can increase ROS levels
• SOD1: converts superoxide into hydrogen peroxide. Inhibiting SOD1 can increase ROS levels
• PI3K/AKT pathway: regulates cell survival and metabolism. Inhibiting can increase ROS levels
• HIF-1α inhibition: regulates genes involved in metabolism and angiogenesis. Inhibiting HIF-1α can increase ROS
• Glycolysis: Inhibiting glycolysis can increase ROS levels • Fatty acid oxidation: Cancer cells often rely on fatty acid oxidation for energy production.
-Inhibiting fatty acid oxidation can increase ROS levels
• ER stress: Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress can increase ROS levels
• Autophagy: process by which cells recycle damaged organelles and proteins.
-Inhibiting autophagy can increase ROS levels and induce cancer cell death.
• KEAP1/Nrf2 pathway: regulates the expression of antioxidant genes.
    -Inhibiting KEAP1 or activating Nrf2 can increase ROS levels and induce cancer cell death.
• DJ-1: regulates the expression of antioxidant genes. Inhibiting DJ-1 can increase ROS levels
• PARK2: regulates the expression of antioxidant genes. Inhibiting PARK2 can increase ROS levels
• SIRT1 inhibition:regulates the expression of antioxidant genes. Inhibiting SIRT1 can increase ROS levels
• AMPK activation: regulates energy metabolism and can increase ROS levels when activated.
• mTOR inhibition: regulates cell growth and metabolism. Inhibiting mTOR can increase ROS levels
• HSP90 inhibition: regulates protein folding and can increase ROS levels when inhibited.
• Proteasome: degrades damaged proteins. Inhibiting the proteasome can increase ROS levels
• Lipid peroxidation: a process by which lipids are oxidized, leading to the production of ROS.
    -Increasing lipid peroxidation can increase ROS levels
• Ferroptosis: form of cell death that is regulated by iron and lipid peroxidation.
    -Increasing ferroptosis can increase ROS levels
• Mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP): regulates mitochondrial permeability.
    -Opening the mPTP can increase ROS levels
• BCL-2 family proteins: regulate apoptosis and can increase ROS levels when inhibited.
• Caspase-independent cell death: a form of cell death that is regulated by ROS.
    -Increasing caspase-independent cell death can increase ROS levels
• DNA damage response: regulates the repair of DNA damage. Increasing DNA damage can increase ROS
• Epigenetic regulation: process by which gene expression is regulated.
    -Increasing epigenetic regulation can increase ROS levels

-PKM2, but not PKM1, can be inhibited by direct oxidation of cysteine 358 as an adaptive response to increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS)

ProOxidant Strategy:(inhibit the Mevalonate Pathway (likely will also inhibit GPx)
-HydroxyCitrate (HCA) found as supplement online and typically used in a dose of about 1.5g/day or more
-Atorvastatin typically 40-80mg/day, -Dipyridamole typically 200mg 2x/day Combined effect research
-Lycopene typically 100mg/day range (note debatable as it mainly lowers NRF2)

Dual Role of Reactive Oxygen Species and their Application in Cancer Therapy 
ROS-Inducing Interventions in Cancer — Canonical + Mechanistic Reference
-generated from AI and Cancer database
ROS rating:  +++ strong | ++ moderate | + weak | ± mixed | 0 none
NRF2:        ↓ suppressed | ↑ activated | ± mixed | 0 none
Conditions:  [D] dose  [Fe] metal  [M] metabolic  [O₂] oxygen
             [L] light [F] formulation [T] tumor-type [C] combination




Item ROS↑ NRF2 Condition Mechanism Class Remarks 



ROS">Piperlongumine
+++ ↓ [D][T] ROS-dominant






ROS">Shikonin
+++↓/±[D][T]ROS-dominant






ROS">Vitamin K3 (menadione)
+++↓[D]ROS-dominant






ROS">Copper (ionic / nano)
+++↓[Fe][F]ROS-dominant






ROS">Sodium Selenite
+++↓[D]ROS-dominant






ROS">Juglone
+++↓[D]ROS-dominant






ROS">Auranofin
+++↓[D]ROS-dominant






ROS">Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)
+++0[L][O₂]ROS-dominant






ROS">Radiotherapy / Radiation
+++0[O₂]ROS-dominant






ROS">Doxorubicin
+++↓[D]ROS-dominant






ROS">Cisplatin
++↓[D][T]ROS-dominant






ROS">Salinomycin
++↓[D][T]ROS-dominant






ROS">Artemisinin / DHA
++↓[Fe][T]ROS-dominant






ROS">Sulfasalazine
++↓[C][T]ROS-dominant






ROS">FMD / fasting
++↓[M][C][O₂]ROS-dominant






ROS">Vitamin C (pharmacologic)
++↓[Fe][D]ROS-dominant






ROS">Silver nanoparticles
++±[F][D]ROS-dominant






ROS">Gambogic acid
++↓[D][T]ROS-dominant






ROS">Parthenolide
++↓[D][T]ROS-dominant






ROS">Plumbagin
++↓[D]ROS-dominant






ROS">Allicin
++↓[D]ROS-dominant






ROS">Ashwagandha (Withaferin A)
++↓[D][T]ROS-dominant






ROS">Berberine
++↓[D][M]ROS-dominant






ROS">PEITC
++↓[D][C]ROS-dominant






ROS">Methionine restriction
+↓[M][C][T]ROS-secondary






ROS">DCA
+±[M][T]ROS-secondary






ROS">Capsaicin
+±[D][T]ROS-secondary






ROS">Galloflavin
+0[D]ROS-secondary






ROS">Piperine
+±[D][F]ROS-secondary






ROS">Propyl gallate
+↓[D]ROS-secondary






ROS">Scoulerine
+?[D][T]ROS-secondary






ROS">Thymoquinone
±±[D][T]Dual redox






ROS">Emodin
±±[D][T]Dual redox






ROS">Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA)
±↑[D][M]NRF2-dominant






ROS">Curcumin
±↑/↓[D][F]NRF2-dominant






ROS">EGCG
±↑/↓[D][O₂]NRF2-dominant






ROS">Quercetin
±↑/↓[D][Fe]NRF2-dominant






ROS">Resveratrol
±↑[D][M]NRF2-dominant






ROS">Sulforaphane
±↑↑[D]NRF2-dominant






ROS">Lycopene
0↑—Antioxidant






ROS">Rosmarinic acid
0↑—Antioxidant






ROS">Citrate
00—Neutral


Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
4415- AgNPs,  SDT,  CUR,    Examining the Impact of Sonodynamic Therapy With Ultrasound Wave in the Presence of Curcumin-Coated Silver Nanoparticles on the Apoptosis of MCF7 Breast Cancer Cells
- in-vitro, BC, MCF-7
tumCV↓, Curcumin-coated silver nanoparticles (Cur@AgNPs) have shown potential as a sensitizer, demonstrating adverse effects on cancer cell survival.
BAX↑, proapoptotic genes, such as Bax and Caspase-3, increased, while the expression of the antiapoptotic gene Bcl-2 decreased in MCF7 cells treated with the SDT.
Casp3↑,
Bcl-2↓,
eff↑, effect of SDT in the presence of Cur@AgNPs decreases cell viability dependence on US mode
ROS↑, Combined treatment increased the amount of ROS induction
sonoS↑, Higher concentrations of AgNPs (100 μg/ml) acted as acoustic sensitizers and enhanced ROS production
eff↑, Using curcumin as a biological coating reduced the toxicity of AgNPs and improved their significant effects with SDT
MMP↓, reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and the opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pores (mPTPs)
Cyt‑c↑, ultimately facilitating the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria into the cytosol.

3446- ALA,  CUR,    The Potential Protective Effect of Curcumin and α-Lipoic Acid on N-(4-Hydroxyphenyl) Acetamide-induced Hepatotoxicity Through Downregulation of α-SMA and Collagen III Expression
- in-vivo, Nor, NA
*hepatoP↑, Curc and Lip acid can be considered as promising natural therapies against liver injury, induced by NHPA, through their antioxidant and antifibrotic actions.
*α-SMA↓, Curc and Lip acid reduced the expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin and collagen III, upregulated by NHPA intoxication
*COL3A1↓,
*ROS↓, scavenging activity to ROS and a capacity to regenerate endogenous antioxidants such as GSH, and vitamins C and E.
*GSH↑,
*ALAT↓, ALT, AST, and ALP activity levels compared to those of the control group. The use of NACS, Curc, and/or Lip acid significantly reduced the toxic effects of NHPA on those enzymes,
*AST↓,
*ALP↓,
*MDA↓, The combination therapy showed an apparent reduction in MDA level more than other treatments

3514- Bor,  CUR,    Effects of Curcumin and Boric Acid Against Neurodegenerative Damage Induced by Amyloid Beta
- in-vivo, AD, NA
*DNAdam↓, Co-administration of BA and curcumin on synaptosomes exposed to Aβ1-42 resulted in a significant decrease in DNA fragmentation values, MDA levels, and AChE activities.
*MDA↓,
*AChE↓,
*neuroP↑, BA and curcumin had protective effects on rat brain synaptosomes against Aβ1-42 exposure.
*ROS↓, BA and curcumin treatment can have abilities to prevent the alterations of the cholinergic system and inhibit oxidative stress in the cerebral cortex synapses of Aβ1-42 exposed.
*NO↓, Synaptosomes treated with BA showed a significant reduction in MDA and NO levels

6027- CGA,  CUR,  EGCG,  QC,  RES  Contribution of Non-Coding RNAs to Anticancer Effects of Dietary Polyphenols: Chlorogenic Acid, Curcumin, Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate, Genistein, Quercetin and Resveratrol
- Review, Nor, NA
*ROS↓, polyphenols have similar chemical and biological properties in that they can act as antioxidants and exert the anticancer effects via cell signaling pathways involving their reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging activity.
ROS↑, These polyphenols may also act as pro-oxidants under certain conditions, especially at high concentrations.

5995- Chit,  CUR,    Enhancement of anticancer activity and drug delivery of chitosan-curcumin nanoparticle via molecular docking and simulation analysis
- vitro+vivo, Var, NA
eff↑, Formulated CSCur NPs were assessed for in-vitro release, which exhibited a sustained release pattern and four-fold higher cytotoxic activity in a nanoparticulated system.
EPR↑, Enhanced uptake, apoptotic effect of CSCur NPs were established by morphological changes in cells as observed by fluorescence microscopy and FE-SEM.
DNAdam↑, DNA damage, cell-cycle blockage and elevated ROS levels further confirm the anticancer activity of the CSCur NPs following apoptotic pathways.
TumCCA↑,
ROS↑,
toxicity↓, In-vivo study on Danio rerio, for uptake and toxicity reveal the particle's biocompatibility and nontoxicity

3628- Cro,  VitE,  CUR,    Vitamin E, Turmeric and Saffron in Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
- Review, AD, NA
*antiOx↑, Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that may have beneficial effects in Alzheimer’s in dealing with oxidative stress
*ROS↓,
*lipid-P↓, Alpha-tocopherol was found as protective against lipid peroxidation
*Aβ↓, Researchers found that all forms of tocopherol enhanced the Aβ production and decreased the Aβ degradation. T
*AChE↓, vitamin E treatment significantly restored acetylcholinesterase activity and increased the Na+/K+ ATPase activity.
*cognitive↑, Although high plasma vitamin E is linked to better cognitive performance [
*Inflam↓, curcumin is effective in AD as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory therapeutic agent that improves the cognitive functions

4826- CUR,    The Bright Side of Curcumin: A Narrative Review of Its Therapeutic Potential in Cancer Management
- Review, Var, NA
*antiOx↑, Curcumin demonstrates strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, contributing to its ability to neutralize free radicals and inhibit inflammatory mediators
*Inflam↑,
*ROS↓,
Apoptosis↑, Its anticancer effects are mediated by inducing apoptosis, inhibiting cell proliferation, and interfering with tumor growth pathways in various colon, pancreatic, and breast cancers
TumCP↓,
BioAv↓, application is limited by its poor bioavailability due to its rapid metabolism and low absorption.
Half-Life↓,
eff↑, curcumin-loaded hydrogels and nanoparticles, have shown promise in improving curcumin bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy.
TumCCA↑, Studies have demonstrated that curcumin can suppress the proliferation of cancer cells by interfering with the cell cycle [21,22]
BAX↑, Curcumin enhances the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, Bim, and Noxa and death receptors such as TRAIL-R1/DR4 and TRAIL-R2/DR5
Bak↑,
PUMA↑,
BIM↑,
NOXA↑,
TRAIL↑,
Bcl-2↓, curcumin decreases the levels of anti-apoptotic proteins like Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, survin, and XIAP
Bcl-xL↓,
survivin↓,
XIAP↓,
cMyc↓, This shift in the balance of apoptotic regulators facilitates the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria [33,35] and activates caspases
Casp↑,
NF-kB↓, Curcumin suppresses the activity of key transcription factors like NF-κB, STAT3, and AP-1 and interferes with critical signal transduction pathways such as PI3K/Akt/mTOR and MAPK/ERK.
STAT3↓,
AP-1↓,
angioG↓, curcumin inhibits angiogenesis and metastasis by downregulating VEGF, VEGFR2, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs).
TumMeta↑,
VEGF↓,
MMPs↓,
DNMTs↓, Epigenetic modifications through the inhibition of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs) further contribute to its anticancer properties.
HDAC↓,
ROS↑, curcumin-loaded nanoparticles showed significant cytotoxicity in the SCC25, MDA-MB-231, and A549 cell lines, with a decrease in tumor cell proliferation, an increase in ROS, and an increase in apoptosis.

4831- CUR,    The dual role of curcumin and ferulic acid in counteracting chemoresistance and cisplatin-induced ototoxicity
- in-vitro, NA, NA
*NRF2↑, We reported that both polyphenols show antioxidant and oto-protective activity in the cochlea by up-regulating Nrf-2/HO-1 pathway and downregulating p53 phosphorylation.
*P53↓,
*NF-kB↓, only curcumin is able to influence inflammatory pathways counteracting NF-κB activation
ROS↑, In human cancer cells, curcumin converts the anti-oxidant effect into a pro-oxidant and anti-inflammatory one
Inflam↓,
ChemoSen↑, Curcumin exerts permissive and chemosensitive properties by targeting the cisplatin chemoresistant factors Nrf-2, NF-κB and STAT-3 phosphorylation.

4828- CUR,    Role of pro-oxidants and antioxidants in the anti-inflammatory and apoptotic effects of curcumin (diferuloylmethane)
- Review, Var, NA
*NF-kB↓, TNF-mediated NF-κB activation was inhibited by curcumin
ROS↑, curcumin induced the production of reactive oxygen species and modulated intracellular GSH levels.

4829- CUR,    Dual Action of Curcumin as an Anti- and Pro-Oxidant from a Biophysical Perspective
- Review, Var, NA
*antiOx↑, therapeutic effects against different disorders, mostly due to its anti-oxidant properties.
ROS↑, However, curcumin can act as a pro-oxidant when blue light is applied, since upon illumination it can generate singlet oxygen
*lipid-P↓, In addition to inhibiting lipid peroxidation, curcumin appears to reduce induciblenitric oxide (NO) synthase (iNOS) activity.
*iNOS↓,
*BioAv↓, poor bioavailability is the key to curcumin’s health-promoting effects,

4830- CUR,    Curcumin and Its Derivatives Induce Apoptosis in Human Cancer Cells by Mobilizing and Redox Cycling Genomic Copper Ions
- in-vitro, Var, NA
eff↑, intracellular copper reacts with curcuminoids in cancer cells to cause DNA damage via ROS generation.
ROS↑, Apoptosis of Cancer Cells Induced by Curcumin Is Mediated by ROS
DNAdam↑,
TumCG↓, Curcumin Inhibits Growth and Induces Apoptosis in Different Types of Cancer Cells
Apoptosis↑,
eff↓, Curcumin-Induced Antiproliferation and Apoptosis in Cancer Cells Are Inhibited by a Cuprous Chelator but Not by Iron and Zinc Chelators
Fenton↑, Generation of superoxide anions may spontaneously result in the synthesis of H2O2, which in turn results in the formation of hydroxyl radicals via oxidation of reduced copper (Fenton reaction)
eff↑, Copper Supplementation Increases the Sensitivity of Normal Breast Epithelial Cells to the Antiproliferative Effects of Curcumin

6218- CUR,    Exploring the Thioredoxin System as a Therapeutic Target in Cancer: Mechanisms and Implications
- Review, Var, NA
NF-kB↓, curcumin inhibits, among others, NF-κB and TrxR [177].
TrxR↓,
ROS↑, Several studies show that curcumin leads to an accumulation of ROS in tumor cells, inhibiting metastasis formation and inducing cell death and/or sensitizing the cells to radiation
TumMeta↓,
TumCD↑,
RadioS↑,
BioAv↝, Curcumin exhibits limitations for potential clinical applications due to its poor water solubility. Therefore, analogues have been developed, such as WZ26, which inhibits TrxR and restricts the proliferation and survival of tumor cells
BioAv↑, Phase I trial with theracurmin, a curcumin derivative that demonstrates higher bioavailability than curcumin, it was shown that a combination with irinotecan is safe and well-tolerated in patients with advanced solid tumors

6232- CUR,  Rad,  Chemo,    The Effectiveness of Curcumin in Treating Oral Mucositis Related to Radiation and Chemotherapy: A Systematic Review
- Review, Var, NA
*VEGF↑, Curcumin has been observed to stimulate vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF), both of which are responsible for cell proliferation and activity, thus promoting faster tissue healing
*Wound Healing↓,
*NRF2↑, Curcumin activates Nrf2 and promotes the release of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), and GSH-px
*Catalase↑,
*SOD↑,
*GSH↑,
*ROS↓, curcumin possesses powerful antioxidant properties that enable it to neu- tralize ROS, reducing oxidative damage to mucosal cells

6230- CUR,    Dual redox effects of 2,6-bis-(4-hydroxyl-3-methoxybenzylidene) cyclohexanone (BHMC) on human liver cancer cells, HepG2 via ROS, glutathione and Nrf2/Keap1 pathway
- in-vitro, Liver, HepG2
chemoP↑, Curcumin has demonstrated significant potential as a chemoprotective agent by inducing death in malignant cells while exhibiting selective cytotoxicity toward normal cells.
selectivity↑,
*BioAv↓, curcumin has limited bioavailability which hindered its full potential.
*BioAv↑, Thus, 2,6-bis-(4-hydroxyl-3-methoxybenzylidene) cyclohexanone (BHMC), a curcuminoid derivative is produced by eliminating unstable β-diketone component, transformed it with double bonds while retaining the phenolic hydroxyl group.
ROS↑, BHMC triggers greater cytotoxic effect via inducing higher oxidative stress damage through reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated pathway.
ROS↓, Further analysis shows that BHMC significantly reduces intracellular ROS levels in HepG2 cells at low concentrations of 15 µM after 18 h and 10 µM after 24 h compared to untreated.
ROS↑, However, at a higher concentration of 20 µM, BHMC induces oxidative stress like curcumin by lowering the ratio of reduced glutathione to glutathione disulfide (GSH/GSSG) and upregulating Nrf2 expression.

6227- CUR,    Revisiting Curcumin in Cancer Therapy: Recent Insights into Molecular Mechanisms, Nanoformulations, and Synergistic Combinations
- Review, Var, NA
Wnt↓, By targeting multiple molecular pathways, including Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, JAK/STAT3, MAPK, NF-κB, and Notch, curcumin suppresses cancer growth and induces apoptosis.
β-catenin/ZEB1↓,
PI3K↓,
Akt↓,
mTOR↓,
JAK↓,
STAT3↓,
MAPK↓,
NF-kB↓,
NOTCH↓,
TumCG↓,
Apoptosis↑,
GSK‐3β↓, curcumin directly targets β-catenin and key Wnt/β-catenin regulators, including Dvl-2, Dvl-3, and GSK-3β.
cMyc↓, curcumin downregulates downstream oncogenic effectors such as c-Myc and Survivin while upregulating Axin-2, thereby inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.
survivin↓,
Axin2↑,
TumCCA↑,
PTEN↑, curcumin upregulates PTEN expression, restoring its negative regulatory effect on the PI3K/Akt pathway.
P53↑, Curcumin’s activation and stabilization of p53 have been demonstrated in multiple cancer cell lines
ROS↑, In cervical cancer cells, curcumin induced apoptosis and ROS accumulation. Curcumin treatment elevated cleaved caspase-3 and PARP levels, markers of apoptosis.
Casp3↑,
PARP↑,
Ferroptosis↑, Ferroptosis Induction by Curcumin
angioG↓, Curcumin Inhibits Angiogenesis, Invasion, and Metastasis in Cancer Cells
TumCI↓,
TumMeta↓,
BioAv↓, curcumin’s clinical translation is limited by its poor bioavailability, rapid metabolism, and low systemic stability.
Half-Life↓,
ChemoSen↑, Synergistic Effects of Curcumin with Chemotherapy and Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery Systems

6225- CUR,    Natural products for enhancing the sensitivity or decreasing the adverse effects of anticancer drugs through regulating the redox balance
- Review, Var, NA
ox-Trx1↑, Curcumin increases Trx1 oxidation and subsequent apoptosis in prostate cancer cells [95].
TrxR1↓, (curcuminoid B63) has been shown to induce ROS-mediated paraptosis-like cell death by targeting TrxR1 in gastric cancer cells
TrxR↓, curcumin-induced inhibition of TrxR may depend on its Michael acceptor function.
ROS↑, leads to dramatic pro-oxidant effects, the induction of NOX activity, and the production of ROS
GSH/GSSG↓, significant decrease in the GSH/GSSG ratio was observed in lung cancer cells after treatment with curcumin
eff↓, NAC partially or completely reversed these effects, suggesting that ROS generation may be the underlying cause of curcumin-induced cell death.
Fenton↑, curcumin reduces Cu(II) to Cu(I) and leads to the formation of H2O2, which further reacts with Cu(I) through the Fenton reaction to produce •OH.
H2O2↑,
*NRF2↑, curcumin pretreatment significantly increases Nrf2 in the nucleus and decreases the expression of Keap1, as well as reverses the doxorubicin-induced reduction of HO-1 and NQO1, which provides a rational mechanism against doxorubicin-induced neurotoxi
*Keap1↓,
*HO-1↑,
*NQO1↑,
ChemoSen↑, The cisplatin and curcumin coloaded liposome system extends the drug duration and promotes drug accumulation in tumours.

6223- CUR,    Curcumin Rewires the Tumor Metabolic Landscape: Mechanisms and Clinical Prospects
- Review, Var, NA
Ferroptosis↑, including the induction of ferroptosis by regulating the SLC7A11/GPX4 axis
GutMicro↑, and modulating gut microbiota metabolism. I
Akt↓, it inhibits pro-tumorigenic signals such as Akt/mTOR, NF-κB, Wnt/β-catenin, and STAT3, thereby blocking tumor proliferation, invasion, and metastasis
mTOR↓,
NF-kB↓,
Wnt↓,
β-catenin/ZEB1↓,
STAT3↓,
TumCP↓,
TumCI↓,
TumMeta↓,
AMPK↑, activates tumor-suppressive and cytoprotective pathways, including AMPK, p53, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis
P53↑,
NRF2↑,
TumCCA↑,
Apoptosis↑,
Casp↑, activation of the Caspase cascade
GPx4↓, as well as ferroptosis by inhibiting the solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11)/glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) axis [5]
DNMTs↓, inhibiting epigenetic regulatory mechanisms such as DNMTs and HDACs.
HDAC↓,
VEGF↓, inhibiting VEGF signaling and enhances the immune microenvironment by improving T cell and NK cell function
Imm↑,
NK cell↑,
Warburg↓, Curcumin effectively reverses the Warburg effect and interferes with glucose metabolism by targeting HIF-1α and inhibiting key enzymes, including hexokinase 2 (HK2), pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), and lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA)
Hif1a↓,
HK2↓,
PKM2↓,
LDHA↓,
GLUT1↓, as well as the functions of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) and monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) [12].
MCT1↓,
AMPK↑, curcumin activates signaling pathways such as AMPK, downregulates fatty acid synthase (FASN) and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD1),
FASN↓,
SCD1↓,
GLS↓, Curcumin extensively intervenes in amino acid metabolism by inhibiting the activity of glutaminase (GLS), ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), and other enzymes,
Apoptosis↑, inducing apoptosis through mechanisms such as disrupting the electron transport chain, reducing membrane potential, and promoting the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS)
ETC↓,
MMP↓,
ROS↑,
lipid-P↑, curcumin induces lipid peroxidation and collapses redox homeostasis, thereby activating the ferroptosis program [
ChemoSen↑, blocking invasion and metastasis, and enhancing chemosensitivity.
PDK1↓, In hypoxic pancreatic cancer cells, curcumin downregulates the expression of GLUT1, HK2, LDHA, and PDK1 by inhibiting the Beclin1/HIF-1α axis, which results in reduced ATP production and inhibited cell proliferation [
Beclin-1↓,
ATP↓,
Glycolysis↓, inhibiting glycolysis
GlucoseCon↓, decreased glucose uptake and increased lactate production
lactateProd↑,
MMPs↓, reduces MMP, GSH, and G6PD activities
GSH↓, inhibition of SLC7A11 to limit GSH synthesis, thereby triggering the collapse of the antioxidant defense system
G6PD↓,
OXPHOS↓, downregulate OXPHOS and glycolysis activities
SREBP2↓, curcumin treatment leads to a marked downregulation of the mRNA expression of SREBP and its target genes. inhibiting the expression of NPC1L1, SREBP-2, and HNF1α
COX2↓, curcumin exerts anti-tumor effects by downregulating the expression of NF-κB, COX-2, and AP-1
AP-1↓,
NADH↓, decreased GPx4 and FSP1 expression, induced ferroptosis by inhibiting GSH-GPx4 and FSP1-CoQ 10-NADH pathways
NRF2↑, it inhibits GPX4 and activates Nrf2 and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). This results in an abnormal accumulation of intracellular Fe2+, ROS, lipid peroxides, and malondialdehyde (MDA), along with a depletion of GSH
HO-1↑,
Iron↑,
MDA↑,
*ROS↓, studies have demonstrated that the topical application of curcumin on the skin exerts antitumor effects by synergistically downregulating COX-2 and ODC activities, alleviating oxidative damage, and concurrently inhibiting inflammatory proliferation i
*Inflam↓,

6222- CUR,    Anticancer Molecular Mechanisms of Curcuminoids: An Updated Review of Clinical Trials
- Review, Var, NA
RadioS↑, curcumin has been shown to enhance the efficacy of the conventional anti‐cancer modalities such as radiation and chemotherapy.
ChemoSen↑,
MMPs↓, By suppressing the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which are enzymes that break down the extracellular matrix and promote cancer cell invasion and metastasis
TumMeta↓,
TumCI↓,
Inflam↓, Inflammation and the advancement of cancer are linked to the NF‐κB signaling pathways, which are also suppressed by curcuminoids.
NF-kB↓,
BioAv↓, curcumin's low bioavailability limits its therapeutic use.
BioAv↑, may be overcome due to recent developments in drug delivery technologies, such as curcumin‐loaded nanoparticles.
MAPK↓, Curcuminoids prevent the activation of a variety of signaling pathways, including the MAPK, PI3K/Akt, and NF‐kB pathways,
PI3K↓,
Akt↓,
*ROS↓, Many studies have pointed out curcumin's potential to reduce oxidative stress markers significantly in various biological models
*MDA↓, significant decrease in the level of MDA in treated animals was observed, which indicated that curcumin treatment delays the process of lipid peroxidation.
*lipid-P↓,
*Half-Life↓, Curcumin has a short biological half‐life and is poorly soluble in water, which allows understanding the low bioavailability of curcumin after oral administration.
mTOR↓, In breast cancer, curcumin mainly targets PI3K/Akt/mTOR

6221- CUR,    Oxidative Stress and Cancer: Harnessing the Therapeutic Potential of Curcumin and Analogues Against Cancer
- Review, Var, NA
NF-kB↓, NF-Kβ suppression from Cur interaction led to the identification of Cur’s immunomodulatory effects
Imm↑, on various cytokines and immune related proteins such as IL-6, TNF-α, and PD-L1 and is suggested as a potential adjuvant treatment for immunotherapy
*TAC↑, In clinical trials, Cur is shown to increase total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and decrease malondialdehyde.53
*MDA↓,
ROS↑, increases overall ROS accumulation in SiHa cervical cancer cells resulting in increased autophagy and G2/M phase cell cycle arrest.54
TumAuto↑,
TumCCA↑,
Keap1↑, activate KEAP1/NRF2/ARE pathways and serve as an effective therapeutic especially in combination with 5-FU
ChemoSen↑,
ER Stress↑, administration of 1g resulted in ROS production, G1 cell cycle phase arrest, and increased ER-stress which was reversed upon addition of NAC, an ROS scavenging agent
eff↓, reversed upon addition of NAC
TrxR↓, Non-small cell lung cancer cell lines showed marked increases in apoptosis and ferroptosis driven by the analogs ability to generate ROS through TrxR inhibition.
STAT3↓, analog WZ26 increased ROS and cell death in cholangiocarcinoma via STAT3 inhibition
*BioAv↓, Studies with doses as high as 12 g/day still resulted in small amounts of traceable plasma Cur, mostly due to low absorption in the small intestine and rapid elimination in the body via the gall bladder.

6217- CUR,    Curcumin: a therapeutic strategy in cancers by inhibiting the canonical WNT/β-catenin pathway
- Review, Var, NA
Wnt↓, Curcumin administration participates to the downregulation of the WNT/β-catenin pathway and thus, through this action, in tumor growth control.
β-catenin/ZEB1↓,
PPARγ↑, Curcumin stimulates PPARγ
Akt↓, Curcumin inhibits Akt pathway
*ROS↓, (1) Curcumin reduces oxidative
*Inflam↓, (2) Curcumin reduces chronic inflammation
Bcl-2↓, (4) Curcumin downregulates WNT pathway and its target genes, inhibits Bcl-2 and activates GSK-3beta;
GSK‐3β↑,
NF-kB↓, (5) Curcumin inhibits NF-ϰB and COX-2
COX2↓,

6216- CUR,    Role of Turmeric and Curcumin in Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases: Lessons Learned from Clinical Trials
- Review, Var, NA
TumCG↓, Curcumin can prevent tumor growth, angiogenesis, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, invasion, and metastasis by modulating the expression of tumor-related non-coding RNA (ncRNA)
angioG↓,
EMT↓,
TumCI↓,
TumMeta↓,
*GutMicro↑, curcumin plays a crucial role in regulating the gut microbiota via biotransformation of curcumin and its metabolites.
*BioAv↓, one of the primary drawbacks of taking curcumin alone is its low bioavailability, which appears to be caused by poor absorption, fast metabolism, and excretion
*HO-1↑, Curcumin is an efficient inducer of hemoxygenase-1 and a powerful inhibitor of reactive oxygen-generating enzymes, such as cyclooxygenase (COX), inducible nitric oxygen synthase (iNOS), lipoxygenase, and xanthine dehydrogenase/oxidase
*ROS↓,
*COX2↓,
*iNOS↓,
PKCδ↓, Curcumin is also a powerful inhibitor of protein kinase C (PKC), tyrosine kinase, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and IB kinase.
EGFR↓,
NF-kB↓, It suppresses NF-κB activation and the expression of oncogenes, such as c-jun, c-fos, c-myc, Akt, PI3K, cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)
cJun↓,
cFos↓,
cMyc↓,
Akt↓,
PI3K↓,
CDK4↓,
*TNF-α↓, Continuous supplementation with nanocurcumin (two 40 mg capsules/day after a meal) for 3 months suppressed expression of inflammatory tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), high sensitive protein with C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6)
*CRP↓,
*IL6↓,
MMP9↓, curcumin suppressed metastasis to the lung by suppressing NF-κB, MMP-9, COX-2, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression.
VEGF↓,
JAK↓, Curcumin remarkably inhibits JAK/STAT signaling by downregulating pro-inflammatory interleukins, such as IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, and MCP-1.
STAT↓,
IL1↓,
IL2↓,
IL6↓,
IL8↓,
IL12↓,
MCP1↓,
Apoptosis↑, It promotes apoptosis and ER stress by targeting phosphorylated protein kinase-like ER-resident kinase,
ER Stress↑,
5LO↓, inhibiting lipoxygenase and xanthine oxidase activity
XO↓,
*NRF2↑, The expression of nuclear factors erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) is boosted by curcumin
*HO-1↑,
*AChE↓, Curcumin also inhibits the key enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and p300, a positive regulator of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway
*neuroP↑, Curcumin has also been suggested to prevent and cure neurotoxicity by replenishing dopamine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid levels.
*glucose↓, remarkably lowers blood glucose levels and improves insulin resistance by reducing hepatic glucose synthesis, inhibiting inflammatory reactions produced by hyperglycemia,
*GLUT2↑, boosting glucose transporters 2 (GLUT2), 3 (GLUT3), and 4 (GLUT4) gene expression, enhancing glucose uptake, and activating the AMPK signaling pathway.
*GLUT3↑,
*GLUT4↑,
*GlucoseCon↑,
*AMPK↑,
*BMD↑, Supplementation with nanomicelle curcumin (80 mg) alone or in combination with Nigella sativa oil (1000 mg) for 2–6 months increased plasma levels of miRNA-21 in postmenopausal women with low bone mass density.
*MDA↓, (1000 mg/day) for 8 weeks reduced serum levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) and increased the total antioxidant capacity in 81 healthy postmenopausal women
*eff↑, Loriczova et al. demonstrated that iron (18 mg and 65 mg) supplementation along with curcumin (500 mg) reduces iron-induced systemic inflammation by reducing plasma levels of TNF-α
eff↑, high-dose vitamin C (25–100 g/day) along with oral nutrient supplementation including curcumin (1–3 g/day) had improved QoL and survival
P53↑, Curcumin was also reported to induce p53 and Bax expression in patients with colorectal cancer, causing apoptosis and DNA fragmentation and suppressing TNF-α and Bcl-2.
BAX↑,
DNAdam↑,
Bcl-2↓,
CSCs↓, The combination of curcumin, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) in colorectal liver metastases reduced stem cell markers, such as aldehyde dehydrogenase and CD133.
ALDH↓,
CD133↑,

6215- CUR,    Curcumin: biochemistry, pharmacology, advanced drug delivery systems, and its epigenetic role in combating cancer
- Review, Var, NA
*antiOx↑, Curcumin exerts potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects by modulating multiple signaling pathways, including NF-κB, PI3K/Akt, and Wnt/β-catenin.
*Inflam↓,
*BioAv↓, curcumin’s clinical application is limited by poor solubility, rapid metabolism, and low systemic bioavailability.
NF-kB↓, graphical abstract
PI3K↓,
Akt↓,
Wnt↓,
β-catenin/ZEB1↓,
DNMTs↓,
TumCI↓,
TumMeta↓,
*BioAv↑, Advanced drug delivery systems such as nanoparticles, liposomes, and micelles have been developed to address these challenges. These systems enhance curcumin’s solubility, stability, and targeted delivery, improving therapeutic efficacy while minimiz
*BioAv↑, coadministration with piperine, lipid-based formulations, and nanoparticle microencapsulation have been developed. Piperine has been shown to increase curcumin absorption by up to 2000 percent
angioG↓, Curcumin is also known for its antiangiogenic action through its inhibitory activity against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)
VEGF↓,
MMPs↓,
*ROS↓, suppresses oxidative stress by scavenging free radicals and enhancing the activity of endogenous antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase
*SOD↑,
*Catalase↑,
*GSTs↑, timulating phase II detoxifying enzymes such as glutathione S-transferase (GST), UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1).
*HO-1↑,
*NRF2↑, It also enhances the activity of the transcription factor Nrf2, which regulates genes crucial for cellular redox homeostasis and safeguarding cells against oxidative damage
mTOR↓, 0 to 50 μM, treatment was associated with decreased phosphorylation of Akt kinase (Akt), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), glycogen synthase kinase (GSK3β), Forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1), and other proteins
GSK‐3β↓,
FOXO1↓,
*radioP↑, Reduced radiation-induced dermatitis and inflammatory cytokine expression (IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α)
*IL1↓,
*IL6↓,
*TNF-α↓,
HATs↓, curcumin has been described as an agent that reduces histone acetylation by inhibiting HAT (histone acetyltransferases), such as the p300/CBP family of proteins
HDAC↓, curcumin has been detected to be an HDI and has the ability to inhibit the expressions of HDACs, like HDAC1, HDAC3, and HDAC8,
ROS↑, Elevating the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in colon adenocarcinoma cells is one of the outcomes of treatment with curcumin, which results in a decline in cell proliferation and viability
ROS↑, at higher concentrations or in the presence of transition metal ions (e.g. Cu2+, Fe2+/Fe3+), curcumin can paradoxically act as a pro-oxidant.
MMP↓, Excess ROS damages mitochondrial membranes, oxidizes nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins, and activates apoptotic cascades via cytochrome c release and caspase activation
Casp↑,
Cyt‑c↑,
COX1↓, curcumin acts as a partial and condition-dependent inhibitor of both COX-1 and COX-2.
COX2↓,
PGE2↓, At lower or therapeutic concentrations, curcumin predominantly downregulates COX-2 and reduces prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis.
*cytoP450↓, curcumin’s capacity to inhibit cytochrome P450 enzymes may influence the metabolism of numerous medicines over extended durations.
ChemoSen↑, curcumin has been integrated with standard chemotherapy agents, including doxorubicin, cisplatin, and paclitaxel, to enhance cancer treatment efficacy
cardioP↑, co-delivery of curcumin and doxorubicin via nanoparticles improved anticancer effectiveness and decreased cardiotoxicity.
eff↑, concurrent treatment of curcumin and resveratrol has demonstrated increased anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties

6214- CUR,    Curcumin Nanoparticles-related Non-invasive Tumor Therapy, and Cardiotoxicity Relieve
TumCD↓, Curcumin plays the antitumor effect by directly promoting tumor cell death and reducing tumor cells' invasive ability.
TumCI↓,
*Inflam↓, curcumin has many pharmacological effects, such as anti-inflammation, antioxidation, antitumor, etc.
*antiOx↓,
*AntiTum↓,
NF-kB↓, Curcumin exerts the therapeutic effect mainly by inhibiting the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signal pathway, inhibiting the production of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2),
COX2↓,
Casp9↓, promoting the expression of caspase-9, and directly inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in tumor cells.
ROS↑, Curcumin can induce lethal levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in tumors
BioAv↑, Curcumin nanoparticles can solve curcumin's shortcomings, such as poor water solubility and high metabolic rate, and can be effectively used in antitumor therapy.
RadioS↑, Figure 1, Curcumin Increases Radiosensitivity of Tumor
ChemoSen↑,
Imm↑,
PhotoS↑, Curcumin Mediates the Antitumor Effect of PDT
sonoS↑, Curcumin Mediates the Antitumor Effect of SDT
5LO↓, down-regulating the activities of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), lipoxygenase (LOX), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and so on, reducing the production of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-2, tumor necrotic factor-α (TNF-α),
iNOS↓,
IL2↓,
TNF-α↓,
Casp9↑, activating intracellular caspase-9 and caspase-3, reducing the expression of p53, inhibiting Bcl2, and promoting the expression of Bax and down-regulating the proportion of Bcl2/Bax
Casp3↑,
Bcl-2↓,
BAX↑,
Apoptosis↑, promote apoptosis by activating caspase-4 and stimulating the Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway and mitochondria stress pathway in tumor cells [
ER Stress↑,
cycD1/CCND1↓, It reduces the expression of cyclin D1, cyclin kinase-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), cdc2/cyclin B complex, and other cell cycle-related proteins,
CDK2↓,
CycB/CCNB1↓,
TumCCA↑, blocks tumor cells from G1 / S phase and G2 / M phase, thus exerting an antitumor effect
MMPs↓, curcumin inhibits tumor invasion and metastasis by inhibiting NF-κB and other signaling pathways, such as chemokine and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)
*radioP↑, Curcumin can effectively treat and prevent radiation adverse reactions such as radiation dermatitis and radiation pneumonia by reducing the expression of inflammatory factors such as fibrotic cytokines, TNF-α, and IL-1, inhibiting NF-κB signal pathwa
chemoP↑, Protective Effect of Curcumin on Side Effects of Chemotherapy
hepatoP↑, urcumin alleviates the hepatotoxicity caused by chemotherapy through anti-inflammation and antioxidation, reducing the level of liver fibrosis and blood lipids [
cardioP↑, Using curcumin to reduce the cardiotoxicity of chemotherapy can improve the therapeutic effect of tumors and patients' prognosis and quality of life.
eff↑, Curcumin Enhances the Therapeutic Effect of Immunotherapy
PhotoS↑, it has the potential to be a new photosensitizer
eff↑, Curcumin nanoparticles with functions of relieving hypoxia and consuming GSH could improve the ability of curcumin to induce ROS and promote ROS- mediated tumor cell death
ROS↑,
GSH↓,

6212- CUR,  Rad,    Radiosensitization and Radioprotection by Curcumin in Glioblastoma and Other Cancers
- Review, Var, NA
RadioS↑, Although curcumin can sensitize cancer cells to irradiation, healthy cells are much less sensitive to this effect, and thus, curcumin is thought to be a potent, yet safe anti-cancer agent
*radioP↑, curcumin has been found to possess radioprotective properties, since it can lessen inflammatory toxicities associated with radiotherapy, like dermatitis, mucositis, and myelosuppression
EGFR↓, Curcumin can suppress the gene expression of EGFR, and downregulate the TGF-β pathway, thus leading to inhibition of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF)
TGF-β↓,
ROS↑, Curcumin can induce ROS generation and suppress DNA repair machinery, thus leading to increased radiation-induced cell death
P53↑, upregulation of both the expression and activity of p53, regulation of the anti-apoptotic PI3K signaling, and suppression of the activity of NF-κB and COX-2
PI3K↓,
NF-kB↓, curcumin increased radiation-induced apoptotic death primarily through inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway
COX2↓,
EMT↓, Curcumin was found to suppress radiation-induced EMT resulting in the inhibition of NSCLC migration and invasion
Hif1a↓, inhibition of the expression of both hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1a) and heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) proteins and increase in the levels of ROS
HSP90↓,
mTOR↓, In cervical cancer, curcumin has been studied as a potent mTOR inhibitor when given together with irradiation.
*Catalase↑, 40 rats were exposed to curcumin 1 day before irradiation to 3 consecutive days after irradiation, the levels of antioxidant enzymes, including catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA), were found to be considerably eleva
*SOD↑,
*MDA↑,
*Wound Healing↑, treatment with curcumin stimulated wound healing,
*hepatoP↑, curcumin treatment prior to radiation can prevent liver damages, mainly through the modulation of the NF-κB pathway and reduction of oxidative stress (upregulation of SOD, CAD and GSH levels in the curcumin-treated group)
*NF-kB↓,
*ROS↓,

6210- CUR,    Potential Roles and Mechanisms of Curcumin and its Derivatives in the Regulation of Ferroptosis
Ferroptosis↑, curcumin is a ferroptosis inducer with excellent anticancer efficacy, although it also exhibits organ protective and reparative effects by acting as a ferroptosis inhibitor.
*Ferroptosis↓,
ROS↑, Accumulated intracellular iron is the trigger for ferroptosis as it can produce highly reactive free radicals via the Fenton reaction, which can lead to ferroptosis
Fenton↑,
*IronCh↑, ability of curcumin to chelate iron and regulate oxidation predicts that curcumin may have a role in regulating ferroptosis,
GPx4↓, Curcumin and its derivative EF24 repress GPX4 expression and increase MDA and ROS levels to exert a pro-ferroptosis effect in osteosarcoma cells
MDA↑,
GSH↓, reduction in GSH content and L-OOH levels was measured in curcumin-treated TNBC cells
*NRF2↑, protective effects against ferroptosis-induced damage to cells107. Through activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, curcumin can both restrict high glucose-induced neuronal (N2a) cell injury
*HO-1↑,

6207- CUR,    Enhancing the Bioavailability and Bioactivity of Curcumin for Disease Prevention and Treatment
- Review, Var, NA - Review, AD, NA
*AntiCan↑, gained increasing interest due to its proposed anti-cancer, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and lipid-lowering effects, in addition to its thermogenic capacity.
*Obesity↓,
*Inflam↓,
*lipid-P↓,
*BioAv↓, intact curcumin in the body may be too low (<1 microM) and not sufficient to affect signaling and gene expression, as observed in vitro with cultured cells (10–20 microM).
*BioAv↑, a myriad of nanoformulations have been developed that either lead to a systemic increase in curcumin or are targeted to specific cells, tissues, or organelles
*BioAv↑, latest generation of curcumin nanoformulations can increase the bioavailability of free curcumin in plasma greater than 100-fold and have superior absorption, cellular uptake, BBB permeability, and tissue distribution
*BioAv↑, In a clinical study, the authors found that 2 g of curcumin administered concomitantly with 20 mg of piperine, an inhibitor of hepatic and intestinal glucuronidation, appeared to promote a significant 2000% increase in the oral bioavailability of cur
*BioAv↑, rats in which piperine pre-administration was performed before receiving curcumin, there was a significant increase in the oral bioavailability of curcumin, especially at 6 h after piperine administration
*BioAv↑, Nanotechnology-based delivery systems such as micelles, liposomes, and polymeric, metal, and solid lipid nanoparticles have also been applied to enhance curcumin bioavailability
*ROS↓, Curcumin was effective against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) lesions, as well in various experimental models, primarily through antioxidant actions such as scavenging ROSs [153], increasing mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and decreasin
*mt-SOD↑,
*MDA↓,
*BBB↓, Curcumin has poor bioavailability, especially in the brain, where the BBB further limits its absorption
*Aβ↓, curcumin appears to reduce the production of Aβ also by affecting a second enzyme required for the cleavage of APP
*GSK‐3β↓, the inhibition of GSK3β by curcumin would hinder both Aβ production and tau aggregation
*tau↓,
*neuroG↑, prolonged treatment of aged rats with curcumin stimulates neurogenesis in the hippocampus
*memory↑, chronic curcumin administration improved memory acquisition and consolidation in both adult and aged rats
cardioP↑, curcumin has been investigated to promote cardioprotective effects against chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity

2818- CUR,    Novel Insight to Neuroprotective Potential of Curcumin: A Mechanistic Review of Possible Involvement of Mitochondrial Biogenesis and PI3/Akt/ GSK3 or PI3/Akt/CREB/BDNF Signaling Pathways
- Review, AD, NA
*neuroP↑, Curcumin's protective functions against neural cell degeneration due to mitochondrial dysfunction and consequent events such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in neural cells have been documented
*ROS↓, studies show that curcumin exerts neuroprotective effects on oxidative stress.
*Inflam↓,
*Apoptosis↓,
*cognitive↑, cognitive performance to receive the title of neuroprotective
*cardioP↑, Studies have shown that curcumin can induce cell regeneration and defense in multiple organs such as the brain, cardiovascular system,
other↑, It has been shown that chronic use of curcumin in patients with neurodegenerative disorder can cause gray matter volume increase
*COX2↓, Curcumin also decreased the brain protein levels and activity of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2)
*IL1β↓, inhibition of IL-1β and TNF-α production, and enhancement of Nf-Kβ inhibition
*TNF-α↓,
NF-kB↓,
*PGE2↓, hronic curcumin therapy has shown a significant decrease in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced elevation of brain prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis in rats
*iNOS↓, curcumin pretreatment decreased NOS activity in the ischemic rat model
*NO↓, curcumin has been shown to decrease NOS expression and NO production in rat brain tissue
*IL2↓, IL-2 is a cytokine that is anti-inflammatory. Numerous studies have shown that curcumin increases the secretion of IL-2
*IL4↓, curcumin reduced levels of IL-4
*IL6↓, Numerous studies have shown that curcumin in neurodegenerative events attenuates IL-6 production
*INF-γ↓, curcumin reduced the production of INF-γ, as pro-inflammatory cytokine
*GSK‐3β↓, Furthermore, previous findings have confirmed that inhibition of GSK-3β or CREB activation by curcumin has reduced the production of pro-inflammatory mediators under different conditions
*STAT↓, Inhibition of GSK-3β by curcumin has been found to result in reduced STAT activation
*GSH↑, chronic curcumin therapy increased glutathione levels in primary cultivated rat cerebral cortical cells
*MDA↓, multiple doses of 5, 10, 40 and 60 mg/kg) in rodents will inhibit neurodegenerative agent malicious effects, and reduce the amount of MDA and lipid peroxidation in brain tissue
*lipid-P↓,
*SOD↑, Curcumin induces increased production of SOD, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), CAT, and glutathione reductase (GR) activating antioxidant defenses
*GPx↑,
*Catalase↑,
*GSR↓,
*LDH↓, Curcumin decreased lactate dehydrogenase, lipoid peroxidation, ROS, H2O2 and inhibited Caspase 3 and 9
*H2O2↓,
*Casp3↓,
*Casp9↓,
*NRF2↑, ncreased mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 and increased mitochondrial biogenesis. Nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)
*AIF↓, Curcumin treatment decreased the number of AIF positive nuclei 24 h after treatment in the hippocampus,
*ATP↑, curcumin in hippocampal cells induced an increase in mitochondrial mass leading to increased production of ATP with major improvements in mitochondrial efficiency

2819- CUR,  Chemo,    Curcumin as a hepatoprotective agent against chemotherapy-induced liver injury
- Review, Var, NA
*hepatoP↑, Several studies have shown that curcumin could prevent and/or palliate chemotherapy-induced liver injury
*Inflam↓, mainly due to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antifibrotic and hypolipidemic properties.
*antiOx↑,
*lipid-P↓, Curcumin can lower lipid peroxidation by increasing the content of GSH, a major endogenous antioxidant,
*GSH↑,
*SOD↑, as well as by enhancing the activity of endogenous antioxidant enzymes, such as SOD, CAT, GPx and GST
*Catalase↑,
*GPx↑,
*GSTs↑,
*ROS↓, elimination of ROS
*ALAT↓, attenuated the increase in serum levels of TNF-α as well as several liver enzymes, including ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase and MDA which are markers of liver damage caused by MTX or cisplatin.
*AST↓,
*MDA↓,
*NRF2↑, Curcumin also attenuated DILI through activation of the nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway
*COX2↑, Curcumin can also inhibit the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)
*NF-kB↓, NF-κB inhibition, which decreased the downstream induction of COX-2, ICAM-1 and MCP-1 pro-inflammatory regulators
*ICAM-1↓,
*MCP1↓,
*HO-1↑, increase in HO-1 and NQO1 expression
CXCc↓, Downregulation of pro-inflammatory chemokines, (CXCL1, CXCL2, and MCP-1)

2820- CUR,    Hepatoprotective Effect of Curcumin on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Through Autophagic and Apoptic Pathways
- in-vitro, HCC, HepG2
*hepatoP↑, Curcumin also significantly reduced oxidative stress in liver, inhibited apoptosis, and induced autophagy. In vitro, curcumin (50 μM) decreased HepG2 cells viability and the concentration of SQSTM1.
*ROS↓,
tumCV↓,

2821- CUR,    Antioxidant curcumin induces oxidative stress to kill tumor cells (Review)
- Review, Var, NA
*antiOx↑, Curcumin is a plant polyphenol in turmeric root and a potent antioxidant
*NRF2↑, regulation by nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, thereby suppressing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and exerting anti-inflammatory, anti-infective and other pharmacological effects
*ROS↓,
*Inflam↓,
ROS↑, Of note, curcumin induces oxidative stress in tumors. curcumin-induced accumulation of ROS in tumors to kill tumor cells has been noted in several studies
p‑ERK↑, Curcumin promoted ERK/JNK phosphorylation, causing elevated ROS levels and triggering mitochondria-dependent apoptosis
ER Stress↑, Curcumin triggered disturbances in Ca2+ homeostasis, leading to endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial damage and apoptosis
mtDam↑,
Apoptosis↑,
Akt↓, Curcumin inhibited the AKT/mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway
mTOR↓,
HO-1↑, Curcumin-induced HO-1 overexpression led to a disturbed intracellular iron distribution and triggered the Fenton reaction
Fenton↑,
GSH↓, Non-small cell lung cancer: Curcumin induced a decrease in GSH and an increase in ROS levels and iron accumulation
Iron↑,
p‑JNK↑, Curcumin causes mitochondrial damage by promoting phosphorylation of ERK and JNK, resulting in the increased release of ROS and cytochrome c into the cytoplasm, thereby triggering a mitochondrion-dependent pathway of apoptosis
Cyt‑c↑,
ATF6↑, thyroid cancer with curcumin, both activating transcription factor (ATF) 6 and the ER stress marker C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) were activated by curcumin and Ca2+-ATPase activity was also affected.
CHOP↑,

2816- CUR,    NEUROPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF CURCUMIN
- Review, AD, NA - Review, Park, NA
*neuroP↑, Curcumin has an outstanding safety profile and a number of pleiotropic actions with potential for neuroprotective efficacy, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-protein-aggregate activities.
*Inflam↓,
*antiOx↑,
*BioAv↓, despite concerns about poor oral bioavailability, curcumin has at least 10 known neuroprotective action
*AP-1↓, Curcumin inhibition of AP-1 and NF-κB-mediated transcription occurs at relatively low (<100 nM) doses and might be due to inhibition of histone acetylase (HAT) or activation of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity
*NF-kB↓,
*HATs↓,
*HDAC↑,
Dose↑, At high doses (>3 µM) that are relevant to colon cancer but unlikely achievable with oral delivery in plasma and tissues outside of the gut, curcumin can act as an alkylating agent,10 a phase II enzyme inducer,11 and stimulate antioxidant response el
*ROS↓, We also found that curcmin reduced oxidative damage, inflammation, and cognitive deficits in rats receiving CNS infusions of toxic Aβ
*cognitive↑,
*Aβ↓, dose-dependently blocked Aβ aggregation at submicromolar concentrations

2978- CUR,    N-acetyl cysteine mitigates curcumin-mediated telomerase inhibition through rescuing of Sp1 reduction in A549 cells
- in-vitro, Lung, A549
ROS↑, ROS induced by curcumin in A549 cells was detected by flow cytometry
hTERT/TERT↓, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) decreased in the presence of curcumin
Sp1/3/4↓, curcumin decreases the expression of Sp1 through proteasome pathway
eff↓, NAC blunted the Sp1 reduction and hTERT downregulation by curcumin.

2980- CUR,    Inhibition of NF B and Pancreatic Cancer Cell and Tumor Growth by Curcumin Is Dependent on Specificity Protein Down-regulation
- in-vivo, PC, NA
TumCG↓, curcumin inhibits Panc28 and L3.6pL pancreatic cancer cell and tumor growth in nude mice bearing L3.6pL cells as xenografts
p50↓, curcumin decreased expression of p50 and p65 proteins and NFkappaB-dependent transactivation and also decreased Sp1, Sp3, and Sp4 transcription factor
p65↓,
NF-kB↓,
Sp1/3/4↓,
MMP↓, Curcumin also decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and induced reactive oxygen species in pancreatic cancer cell
ROS↑,

3574- CUR,    The effect of curcumin (turmeric) on Alzheimer's disease: An overview
- Review, AD, NA
*antiOx↑, Curcumin as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and lipophilic action improves the cognitive functions in patients with AD
*Inflam↓,
*lipid-P↓,
*cognitive↑,
*memory↑, overall memory in patients with AD has improved.
*Aβ↓, curcumin may help the macrophages to clear the amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer's disease.
*COX2↓, Curcumin is found to inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX-2),
*ROS↓, The reduction of the release of ROS by stimulated neutrophils, inhibition of AP-1 and NF-Kappa B inhibit the activation of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF (tumor necrosis factor)-alpha and IL (interleukin)-1 beta
*AP-1↓,
*NF-kB↓,
*TNF-α↓,
*IL1β↓,
*SOD↑, It also increased the activity of superoxide dismutase, sodium-potassium ATPase that normally decreased with aging.
*GSH↑, followed by a significant elevation in oxidized glutathione content.
*HO-1↑, curcumin induces hemoxygenase activity.
*IronCh↑, curcumin effectively binds to copper, zinc and iron.
*BioAv↓, Curcumin has poor bioavailability. Because curcumin readily conjugated in the intestine and liver to form curcumin glucuronides.
*Half-Life↝, , serum curcumin concentrations peaked one to two hours after an oral dose
*Dose↝, Peak serum concentrations were 0.5, 0.6 and 1.8 micromoles/L at doses of 4, 6 and 8 g/day respectively.
*BBB↑, Curcumin crosses the blood brain barrier and is detected in CSF
*BioAv↑, Absorption appears to be better with food.
*toxicity∅, A phase 1 human trial with 25 subjects using up to 8000 mg of curcumin per day for three months found no toxicity from curcumin.
*eff↑, Co-supplementation with 20 mg of piperine (extracted from black pepper) significantly increase the bioavailablity of curcumin by 2000%

3576- CUR,    Protective Effects of Indian Spice Curcumin Against Amyloid-β in Alzheimer's Disease
- Review, AD, NA
*Inflam↓, known to have protective effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-arthritis, pro-healing, and boosting memory cognitive functions.
*antiOx↑,
*memory↑,
*Aβ↓, curcumin prevents Aβ aggregation and crosses the blood-brain barrier,
*BBB↑,
*cognitive↑, curcumin ameliorates cognitive decline and improves synaptic functions in mouse models of AD
*tau↓, curcumin's effect on inhibition of A and tau,copper binding ability, cholesterol lowering ability, anti-inflammatory and modulation of microglia, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition, antioxidant properties,
*LDL↓,
*AChE↓,
*IL1β↓, Curcumin reduced the levels of oxidized proteins and IL1B in the brains of APP mice
*IronCh↑, Curcumin binds to redox-active metals, iron and copper
*neuroP↑, Curcumin, a neuroprotective agent, has poor brain bioavailability.
*BioAv↝,
*PI3K↑, They found that curcumin significantly upregulates phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, nuclear factor E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase 1, and ferritin expression
*Akt↑,
*NRF2↑,
*HO-1↑,
*Ferritin↑,
*HO-2↓, and that it significantly downregulates heme oxygenase 2, ROS, and A40/42 expression.
*ROS↓,
*Ach↑, significant increase in brain ACh, glutathione, paraoxenase, and BCL2 levels with respect to untreated group associated with significant decrease in brain AChE activity,
*GSH↑,
*Bcl-2↑,
*ChAT↑, nvestigation revealed that the selected treatments caused marked increase in ChAT positive cells.

2688- CUR,    Effects of resveratrol, curcumin, berberine and other nutraceuticals on aging, cancer development, cancer stem cells and microRNAs
- Review, Var, NA - Review, AD, NA
*ROS↓, CUR reduced the production of ROS
*SOD↑, CUR also upregulated the expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) genes
p16↑, The effects of CUR on gene expression in cancer-associated fibroblasts obtained from breast cancer patients has been examined. CUR increased the expression of the p16INK4A and other tumor suppressor proteins
JAK2↓, CUR decreased the activity of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway
STAT3↓,
CXCL12↓, and many molecules involved in cellular growth and metastasis including: stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1), IL-6, MMP2, MMP9 and TGF-beta
IL6↓,
MMP2↓,
MMP9↓,
TGF-β↓,
α-SMA↓, These effects reduced the levels of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) which was attributed to decreased migration and invasion of the cells.
LAMs↓, CUR suppressed Lamin B1 and
DNAdam↑, induced DNA damage-independent senescence in proliferating but not quiescent breast stromal fibroblasts in a p16INK4A-dependent manner.
*memory↑, CUR has recently been shown to suppress memory decline by suppressing beta-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1= Beta-secretase 1, an important gene in AD) expression which is implicated in beta-amyoid pathology in 5xFAD transgenic
*cognitive↑, CUR was found to decrease adiposity and improve cognitive function in a similar fashion as CR in 15-month-old mice.
*Inflam↓, The effects of CUR and CR were positively linked with anti-inflammatory or antioxidant actions
*antiOx↑,
*NO↑, CUR treatment increased nNOS expression, acidity and NO concentration
*MDA↓, CUR treatment resulted in decreased levels of MDA
*ROS↓, CUR treatment was determined to cause reduction of ROS in the AMD-RPEs and protected the cells from H2O2-induced cell death by reduction of ROS levels.
DNMT1↓, CUR has been shown to downregulate the expression of DNA methyl transferase I (DNMT1)
ROS↑, induction of ROS and caspase-3-mediated apoptosis
Casp3↑,
Apoptosis↑,
miR-21↓, CUR was determined to decrease both miR-21 and anti-apoptotic protein expression.
LC3II↓, CUR also induced proteins associated with cell death such as LC3-II and other proteins in U251 cells
ChemoSen↑, The combined CUR and temozolomide treatment resulted in enhanced toxicity in U-87 glioblastoma cells.
NF-kB↓, suppression of NF-kappaB activity
CSCs↓, Dendrosomal curcumin increased the expression of miR-145 and decreased the expression of stemness genes including: NANOG, OCT4A, OCT4B1, and SOX2 [113]
Nanog↓,
OCT4↓,
SOX2↓,
eff↑, A synergistic interaction was observed when emodin and CUR were combined in terms of inhibition of cell growth, survival and invasion.
Sp1/3/4↓, CUR inducing ROS which results in suppression of specificity protein expression (SP1, SP3 and SP4) as well as miR-27a.
miR-27a-3p↓,
ZBTB10↑, downregulation of miR-27a by CUR, increased expression of ZBTB10 occurred
SOX9?, This resulted in decreased SOX9 expression.
ChemoSen↑, CUR used in combination with cisplatin resulted in a synergistic cytotoxic effect, while the effects were additive or sub-additive in combination with doxorubicin
VEGF↓, Some of the effects of CUR treatment are inhibition of NF-κB activity and downstream effector proteins, including: VEGF, MMP-9, XIAP, BCL-2 and Cyclin-D1.
XIAP↓,
Bcl-2↓,
cycD1/CCND1↓,
BioAv↑, Piperine is an alkaloid found in the seeds of black pepper (Piper nigrum) and is known to enhance the bioavailability of several therapeutic agents, including CUR
Hif1a↓, CUR inhibits HIF-1 in certain HCC cell lines and in vivo studies with tumor xenografts. CUR also inhibited EMT by suppressing HIF-1alpha activity in HepG2 cells
EMT↓,
BioAv↓, CUR has a poor solubility in aqueous enviroment, and consequently it has a low bioavailability and therefore low concentrations at the target sites.
PTEN↑, CUR treatment has been shown to result in activation of PTEN, which is a target of miR-21.
VEGF↓, CUR treatment resulted in a decrease of VEGF and activated Akt.
Akt↑,
EZH2↓, CUR also suppressed EZH2 expression by induction of miR-let 7c and miR-101.
NOTCH1↓, The expression of NOTCH1 was inhibited upon EZH2 suppression [
TP53↑, CUR has been shown to activate the TP53/miR-192-5p/miR-215/XIAP pathway in NSCLC.
NQO1↑, CUR can also induce the demethylation of the nuclear factor erythroid-2 (NF-E2) related factor-2 (NRT2) gene which in turn activates (NQO1), heme oxygenase-1 (HO1) and an antioxidant stress pathway which can prevent growth in mouse TRAMP-C1 prostate
HO-1↑,

2308- CUR,    Counteracting Action of Curcumin on High Glucose-Induced Chemoresistance in Hepatic Carcinoma Cells
- in-vitro, Liver, HepG2
GlucoseCon↓, Curcumin obviated the hyperglycemia-induced modulations like elevated glucose consumption, lactate production, and extracellular acidification, and diminished nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production
lactateProd↓,
ECAR↓,
NO↓,
ROS↑, Curcumin favors the ROS production in HepG2 cells in normal as well as hyperglycemic conditions. ROS production was detected in cancer cells treated with curcumin, or doxorubicin, or their combinations in NG or HG medium for 24 h
HK2↓, HKII, PFK1, GAPDH, PKM2, LDH-A, IDH3A, and FASN. Metabolite transporters and receptors (GLUT-1, MCT-1, MCT-4, and HCAR-1) were also found upregulated in high glucose exposed HepG2 cells. Curcumin inhibited the elevated expression of these enzymes, tr
PFK1↓,
GAPDH↓,
PKM2↓,
LDHA↓,
FASN↓,
GLUT1↓, Curcumin treatment was able to significantly decrease the expression of GLUT1, HKII, and HIF-1α in HepG2 cells either incubated in NG or HG medium.
MCT1↓,
MCT4↓,
HCAR1↓,
SDH↑, Curcumin also uplifted the SDH expression, which was inhibited in high glucose condition
ChemoSen↑, Curcumin Prevents High Glucose-Induced Chemoresistance
ROS↑, Treatment of cells with doxorubicin in presence of curcumin was found to cooperatively augment the ROS level in cells of both NG and HG groups.
BioAv↑, Curcumin Favors Drug Accumulation in Cancer Cells
P53↑, An increased expression of p53 in curcumin-treated cells can be suggestive of susceptibility towards cytotoxic action of anticancer drugs
NF-kB↓, curcumin has therapeutic benefits in hyperglycemia-associated pathological manifestations and through NF-κB inhibition
pH↑, Curcumin treatment was found to resist the lowering of pH of culture supernatant both in NG as well in HG medium.

2312- CUR,    Dual Role of Reactive Oxygen Species and their Application in Cancer Therapy
- Review, Var, NA
ROS↑,
PKM2↓, ROS accumulation inhibits PKM2

2654- CUR,    Oxidative Stress Inducers in Cancer Therapy: Preclinical and Clinical Evidence
- Review, Var, NA
ROS↑, ROS induction has been implicated as one of the mechanisms of the anticancer activity of curcumin and its derivatives in various cancers
Catalase↓, Curcumin induces ROS by inhibiting the activity of various ROS-related metabolic enzymes, such as CAT, SOD1, glyoxalase 1, and NAD(P)H dehydrogenase [quinone] 1 [146,149]
SOD1↓,
GLO-I↓,
NADPH↓,
TumCCA↑, ROS accumulation further mediates G1 or G2/M cell cycle arrest [146,147,150,154], senescence [146], and apoptosis.
Apoptosis↑,
Akt↓, downregulation of AKT phosphorylation [145
ER Stress↑, endoplasmic reticulum stress (namely through the PERK–ATF4–CHOP axis)
JNK↑, activation of the JNK pathway [151],
STAT3↓, and inhibition of STAT3 [155].
BioAv↑, Additionally, the combination of curcumin and piperine, a pro-oxidative phytochemical that drastically increases the bioavailability of curcumin in humans

3575- CUR,    The curry spice curcumin reduces oxidative damage and amyloid pathology in an Alzheimer transgenic mouse
- in-vivo, AD, NA
*antiOx↑, potent polyphenolic antioxidant
*ROS↓, Low and high doses of curcumin significantly lowered oxidized proteins and interleukin-1β, a proinflammatory cytokine elevated in the brains of these mice.
*IL1β↓,
*Aβ↓, low-dose but not high-dose curcumin treatment, the astrocytic marker GFAP was reduced, and insoluble β-amyloid (Aβ), soluble Aβ, and plaque burden were significantly decreased by 43–50%
*Inflam↓, we report that the Indian spice curcumin suppresses indices of inflammation and oxidative damage in the brains of APPSw mice, factors that have been implicated in AD pathogenesis.
*toxicity↓, Studies have consistently shown that curcumin is relatively nontoxic and has few side effects at doses greater than the low dose tested in our mice.

2810- CUR,    Effect of curcuminoids on oxidative stress: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
- Review, Nor, NA
*SOD↑, significant increase of SOD activities especially for studies ≥6 weeks
*lipid-P↓, also significantly reduced lipid peroxides, increased GSH and catalase activity.
*GSH↑,
*Catalase↑,
*ROS↓, neutralization of free radicals

3795- CUR,    Curcumin: A Golden Approach to Healthy Aging: A Systematic Review of the Evidence
- Review, AD, NA
*antiOx↑, Curcumin, a natural compound with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties
*Inflam↓,
*AntiAge↑, Its potential anti-aging properties are due to its power to alter the levels of proteins associated with senescence, such as adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and sirtuins
*AMPK↑,
*SIRT1↑,
*NF-kB↓, preventing pro-aging proteins, such as nuclear factor-kappa-B (NF-κB) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)
*mTOR↓,
*NLRP3↓, Moreover, curcumin, by inhibiting the NF-κB pathway, can directly restrain the assembly or even inhibit the activation of the NOD-like receptor pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome
*NADPH↓, by inhibiting nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase and elevating the activity of antioxidant enzymes and consequently lowering reactive oxygen species (ROS)
*ROS↓,
*COX2↓, (COX-2), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) can be decreased by curcumin
*MCP1↓,
*IL1β↓, by decreasing IL-1β, IL-17, IL-23, TNF-α, and myeloperoxidase, enhancing levels of IL-10, and downregulating activation of NF-κB
*IL17↓,
*IL23↓,
*TNF-α↓,
*MPO↓,
*IL10↑,
*lipid-P↓, curcumin showed a significant decline in lipid peroxidation and increased superoxide dismutase levels, in addition to a reduction in Aβ aggregation and tau hyperphosphorylation through the regulation of GSK3β, Cdk5, p35, and p25
*SOD↑,
*Aβ↓,
*p‑tau↓,
*GSK‐3β↓,
*CDK5↓,
*TXNIP↓, Curcumin also has an inhibitory role on the thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP)/NLRP3 inflammasome pathway
*NRF2↑, well as upregulation of Nrf2, NAD(P)H quinine oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), HO-1, and γ-glutamyl cysteine synthetase (γ-GCS) in brain cells.
*NQO1↑,
*HO-1↑,
*OS↑, significant improvement in OS, and a positive evolution in memory and spatial learning
*memory↑,
*BDNF↑, Besides that, it promoted neurogenesis through increasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels
*neuroP↑, Curcumin can promote neuroprotection
*BACE↓, Figure 7
*AChE↓, figure 7
*LDL↓, and reduced total cholesterol and LDL levels.

3794- CUR,    Curcumin hybrid molecules for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: Structure and pharmacological activities
- Review, AD, NA
*GSK‐3β↓, Firstly, curcumin can inhibit kinases, such as GSK-3β and Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5 (Cdk5), that excessively phosphorylate Tau protein
*CDK5↓,
*p‑tau↓,
*IronCh↑, curcumin's metal ion chelating capability contributes to the reduction of free radicals
*ROS↓,
*HO-1↑, upregulating antioxidant enzymes including heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and enzymes involved in the synthesis of endogenous antioxidants, specifically glutathione (GSH)
*SOD↑,
*Catalase↑,
*GSH↑,
*TNF-α↓, inhibiting the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-12,
*IL6↓,
*IL12↓,
*NRF2↑, inducing the production of anti-inflammatory mediators including HO-1/NRF-2, PPARα-γ, and IL-4
*PPARγ↑,
*IL4↑,
*AChE↓, researchers have observed that curcumin can suppress AChE mRNA expression levels, effectively preventing the Cd-induced rise in AChE activity
*Dose↝, While curcumin directly interacts with AChE, its inhibitory activity remains weak (IC50 = 67.69 μM)
*GutMicro↑, curcumin's interaction with gut microbiota exhibits potential anti-AD properties.

3753- CUR,  Gala,    A Novel Galantamine–Curcumin Hybrid Inhibits Butyrylcholinesterase: A Molecular Dynamics Study
- Study, AD, NA
*BChE↓, newly designed hybrid of galantamine (GAL) and curcumin (CCN) (compound 4b) decreases the activity of BChE in murine brain homogenates.
*AChE↓, Galantamine (GAL) is a natural alkaloid : It functions as an AChE inhibitor, enhancing the levels of acetylcholine in the brain, which are important for memory and cognitio
*Ach↑,
*cognitive↑,
*memory↑,
*ROS↓, CCN is its ability to neutralize free radicals and reduce oxidative stress
*Inflam↓, CCN inhibits key enzymes and signaling pathways involved in inflammation, such as NF-kB and COX-2, making it valuable in managing inflammatory conditions like arthritis
*NF-kB↓,
*COX2?,

3831- CUR,    Traditional Chinese Medicine: Role in Reducing β-Amyloid, Apoptosis, Autophagy, Neuroinflammation, Oxidative Stress, and Mitochondrial Dysfunction of Alzheimer’s Disease
- Review, AD, NA
*neuroP↑, Several studies have shown that C. longa is a potential neuroprotective drug
*ROS↓, Curcumin inhibited Aβ-induced DNA damage by reducing of ROS generation through p38 MAPK and AKT pathways
*Ca+2↓, attenuate apoptosis by regulating intracellular Ca2+ release, ROS, and mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization level in SH-SY5Y cells
*MMP↑,

3748- CUR,  RES,  Hup,  Riv,  Gala  Natural acetylcholinesterase inhibitors: A multi-targeted therapeutic potential in Alzheimer's disease
- Review, AD, NA
*AChE↓, natural phytocompounds such as Curcumin, Varenicline, Huperrtzine, Resveratrol, and Cycloastrageno have received FDA approval to treat Alzheimer's disease
*Inflam↓, Anti-amyloidogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-ChE, anti – secretase
*Aβ↓, Prevent cognitive impairment and associated oxidative stress by reducing plaque formation
*cognitive↑,
*ROS↓,

3588- CUR,    The effect of curcumin on cognition in Alzheimer’s disease and healthy aging: A systematic review of pre-clinical and clinical studies
- Review, AD, NA
*cognitive↝, Clinical studies are mixed regarding curcumin’s effects on cognitive deficits.
*BioAv↑, Ways to improve curcumin’s bioavailability are required.
*Inflam↓, anti-inflammatory activity can be attributed to the suppression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) enzymes via down-regulation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)
*COX2↓,
*iNOS↓,
*NF-kB↓,
*TNF-α↓, nhibition of several inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a) or interleukin (IL) -1, -2, -6, -8, and -12 (
*IL1↓,
*IL2↓,
*IL6↓,
*IL8↓,
*IL12↓,
*ROS↓, Curcumin’s ability to scavenge free radicals, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), provides its antioxidant capacity
*RNS↓,
*antiOx↑,
*BBB↑, Multiple studies in rodents and humans have shown that curcumin crosses the blood brain barrier (BBB)
*BioAv↓, drawback is the low bioavailability due to poor solubility, low absorption, rapid metabolism, and rapid excretion
*cognitive↑, The researchers detected a significant cognitive improvement at both doses compared to the untreated group, while a significant dose-response effect was found throughout time with higher doses of curcumin producing greater cognitive improvement
*memory↑, supplementation may improve memory and result in a number of biochemical alternations leading to suppressed tau aggregation
*tau↓,
*eff↑, Combined curcumin and piperine showed superiority, in a dose dependent manner,

3584- CUR,    Curcumin in Health and Diseases: Alzheimer’s Disease and Curcumin Analogues, Derivatives, and Hybrids
*AChE↓, Curcuminoids (a mixture of curcumin, AB14 and AB10) inhibited AChE in the in vitro assay with a IC50 value of 19.67, AB14 16.84, AB10 33.14, and curcumin 67.69 μM.
*Inflam↓, Curcumin is a natural pleiotropic substance presenting anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anti-amyloid activities, as well as inhibition of AChE
*antiOx↑,
*Aβ↓, design of curcumin analogues is more focused on the inhibition of amyloid-β and the suppression of oxidative stress, while fewer efforts have been made to design and synthesize molecules that inhibit both protein accumulation and AChE in the brain.
*ROS↓,

3579- CUR,  AgNPs,    Metal–Curcumin Complexes in Therapeutics: An Approach to Enhance Pharmacological Effects of Curcumin
- Review, NA, NA
*IronCh↑, It is well established that curcumin strongly chelates several metal ions, including boron, cobalt, copper, gallium, gadolinium, gold, lanthanum, manganese, nickel, iron, palladium, platinum, ruthenium, silver, vanadium, and zinc.
*BioAv↑, Metal–curcumin complexes increase the solubility, cellular uptake, and bioavailability and improve the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antiviral effects of curcumin.
*antiOx↑,
*Inflam↓,
*BioAv↑, complexes of curcumin with transition metals may provide another approach to overcome the issues associated with curcumin.
ROS↑, curcumin–metal complexes with liposomes present enhanced cellular uptake and ROS generation in cancer cells and thus cause increased cytotoxicity
*neuroP↑, Since curcumin has the ability to cross the blood–brain barrier due to its hydrophobic nature, it can strongly chelate the metal ions in the brain and prevent metal-induced neurotoxicity.
*eff↑, Curcumin with silver nanoparticle formates also increases the solubility and stability of curcumin in complexes. Curcumin reduces and caps the silver nanoparticles, which increases its stability and solubility in water

3580- CUR,    Curcumin Acts as Post-protective Effects on Rat Hippocampal Synaptosomes in a Neuronal Model of Aluminum-Induced Toxicity
- in-vivo, AD, NA
*ROS↓, curcumin post-treatment significantly improved oxidative damage and morphological alterations, and suppressed cytochrome c and caspase 3 activities
*Cyt‑c↓,
*Casp3↓,
*neuroP↑, curcumin had more therapeutic effects than protective effects in AlCI3-induced neurotoxicity.


Showing Research Papers: 1 to 50 of 96
Page 1 of 2 Next

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 96

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

Catalase↓, 1,   Fenton↑, 4,   Ferroptosis↑, 3,   GPx4↓, 2,   GSH↓, 4,   GSH/GSSG↓, 1,   H2O2↑, 1,   HO-1↑, 3,   Iron↑, 2,   Keap1↑, 1,   lipid-P↑, 1,   MDA↑, 2,   NADH↓, 1,   NQO1↑, 1,   NRF2↑, 2,   OXPHOS↓, 1,   ROS↓, 1,   ROS↑, 30,   SOD1↓, 1,   ox-Trx1↑, 1,   TrxR↓, 3,   TrxR1↓, 1,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics ⓘ

ATP↓, 1,   ETC↓, 1,   MMP↓, 4,   mtDam↑, 1,   SDH↑, 1,   XIAP↓, 2,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

AMPK↑, 2,   cMyc↓, 3,   ECAR↓, 1,   FASN↓, 2,   G6PD↓, 1,   GAPDH↓, 1,   GLO-I↓, 1,   GLS↓, 1,   GlucoseCon↓, 2,   Glycolysis↓, 1,   HK2↓, 2,   lactateProd↓, 1,   lactateProd↑, 1,   LDHA↓, 2,   MCT4↓, 1,   NADPH↓, 1,   PDK1↓, 1,   PFK1↓, 1,   PKM2↓, 3,   PPARγ↑, 1,   SCD1↓, 1,   SREBP2↓, 1,   Warburg↓, 1,  

Cell Death ⓘ

Akt↓, 8,   Akt↑, 1,   Apoptosis↑, 10,   Bak↑, 1,   BAX↑, 4,   Bcl-2↓, 6,   Bcl-xL↓, 1,   BIM↑, 1,   Casp↑, 3,   Casp3↑, 4,   Casp9↓, 1,   Casp9↑, 1,   Cyt‑c↑, 3,   Ferroptosis↑, 3,   hTERT/TERT↓, 1,   iNOS↓, 1,   JNK↑, 1,   p‑JNK↑, 1,   MAPK↓, 2,   MCT1↓, 2,   NOXA↑, 1,   PUMA↑, 1,   survivin↓, 2,   TRAIL↑, 1,   TumCD↓, 1,   TumCD↑, 1,  

Kinase & Signal Transduction ⓘ

SOX9?, 1,   Sp1/3/4↓, 3,  

Transcription & Epigenetics ⓘ

cJun↓, 1,   EZH2↓, 1,   HATs↓, 1,   miR-21↓, 1,   miR-27a-3p↓, 1,   other↑, 1,   PhotoS↑, 2,   sonoS↑, 2,   tumCV↓, 2,  

Protein Folding & ER Stress ⓘ

ATF6↑, 1,   CHOP↑, 1,   ER Stress↑, 5,   HSP90↓, 1,  

Autophagy & Lysosomes ⓘ

Beclin-1↓, 1,   LC3II↓, 1,   TumAuto↑, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair ⓘ

DNAdam↑, 4,   DNMT1↓, 1,   DNMTs↓, 3,   p16↑, 1,   P53↑, 5,   PARP↑, 1,   TP53↑, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence ⓘ

CDK2↓, 1,   CDK4↓, 1,   CycB/CCNB1↓, 1,   cycD1/CCND1↓, 2,   TumCCA↑, 7,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

ALDH↓, 1,   Axin2↑, 1,   CD133↑, 1,   cFos↓, 1,   CSCs↓, 2,   EMT↓, 3,   p‑ERK↑, 1,   FOXO1↓, 1,   GSK‐3β↓, 2,   GSK‐3β↑, 1,   HDAC↓, 3,   mTOR↓, 6,   Nanog↓, 1,   NOTCH↓, 1,   NOTCH1↓, 1,   OCT4↓, 1,   PI3K↓, 5,   PTEN↑, 2,   SOX2↓, 1,   STAT↓, 1,   STAT3↓, 6,   TumCG↓, 4,   Wnt↓, 4,  

Migration ⓘ

5LO↓, 2,   AP-1↓, 2,   CXCL12↓, 1,   LAMs↓, 1,   MMP2↓, 1,   MMP9↓, 2,   MMPs↓, 5,   PKCδ↓, 1,   TGF-β↓, 2,   TumCI↓, 6,   TumCP↓, 2,   TumMeta↓, 6,   TumMeta↑, 1,   α-SMA↓, 1,   β-catenin/ZEB1↓, 4,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature ⓘ

angioG↓, 4,   EGFR↓, 2,   EPR↑, 1,   Hif1a↓, 3,   NO↓, 1,   VEGF↓, 6,   ZBTB10↑, 1,  

Barriers & Transport ⓘ

GLUT1↓, 2,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

COX1↓, 1,   COX2↓, 5,   CXCc↓, 1,   HCAR1↓, 1,   IL1↓, 1,   IL12↓, 1,   IL2↓, 2,   IL6↓, 2,   IL8↓, 1,   Imm↑, 3,   Inflam↓, 2,   JAK↓, 2,   JAK2↓, 1,   MCP1↓, 1,   NF-kB↓, 15,   NK cell↑, 1,   p50↓, 1,   p65↓, 1,   PGE2↓, 1,   TNF-α↓, 1,  

Cellular Microenvironment ⓘ

pH↑, 1,  

Protein Aggregation ⓘ

XO↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

BioAv↓, 4,   BioAv↑, 6,   BioAv↝, 1,   ChemoSen↑, 11,   Dose↑, 1,   eff↓, 4,   eff↑, 11,   Half-Life↓, 2,   RadioS↑, 4,   selectivity↑, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

EGFR↓, 2,   EZH2↓, 1,   GutMicro↑, 1,   hTERT/TERT↓, 1,   IL6↓, 2,   TP53↑, 1,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

cardioP↑, 3,   chemoP↑, 2,   hepatoP↑, 1,   toxicity↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 195

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

antiOx↓, 1,   antiOx↑, 15,   Catalase↑, 7,   Ferroptosis↓, 1,   GPx↑, 2,   GSH↑, 8,   GSR↓, 1,   GSTs↑, 2,   H2O2↓, 1,   HO-1↑, 10,   HO-2↓, 1,   Keap1↓, 1,   lipid-P↓, 9,   MDA↓, 9,   MDA↑, 1,   MPO↓, 1,   NQO1↑, 2,   NRF2↑, 12,   RNS↓, 1,   ROS↓, 32,   SOD↑, 10,   mt-SOD↑, 1,   TAC↑, 1,  

Metal & Cofactor Biology ⓘ

Ferritin↑, 1,   IronCh↑, 5,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics ⓘ

AIF↓, 1,   ATP↑, 1,   MMP↑, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

ALAT↓, 2,   AMPK↑, 2,   cytoP450↓, 1,   glucose↓, 1,   GlucoseCon↑, 1,   GLUT2↑, 1,   LDH↓, 1,   LDL↓, 2,   NADPH↓, 1,   PPARγ↑, 1,   SIRT1↑, 1,  

Cell Death ⓘ

Akt↑, 1,   Apoptosis↓, 1,   Bcl-2↑, 1,   Casp3↓, 2,   Casp9↓, 1,   Cyt‑c↓, 1,   Ferroptosis↓, 1,   iNOS↓, 4,  

Transcription & Epigenetics ⓘ

Ach↑, 2,   HATs↓, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair ⓘ

DNAdam↓, 1,   P53↓, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

GSK‐3β↓, 4,   HDAC↑, 1,   mTOR↓, 1,   neuroG↑, 1,   PI3K↑, 1,   STAT↓, 1,  

Migration ⓘ

AP-1↓, 2,   Ca+2↓, 1,   CDK5↓, 2,   COL3A1↓, 1,   TXNIP↓, 1,   α-SMA↓, 1,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature ⓘ

NO↓, 2,   NO↑, 1,   VEGF↑, 1,  

Barriers & Transport ⓘ

BBB↓, 1,   BBB↑, 3,   GLUT3↑, 1,   GLUT4↑, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

COX2?, 1,   COX2↓, 5,   COX2↑, 1,   CRP↓, 1,   ICAM-1↓, 1,   IL1↓, 2,   IL10↑, 1,   IL12↓, 2,   IL17↓, 1,   IL1β↓, 5,   IL2↓, 2,   IL23↓, 1,   IL4↓, 1,   IL4↑, 1,   IL6↓, 5,   IL8↓, 1,   INF-γ↓, 1,   Inflam↓, 20,   Inflam↑, 1,   MCP1↓, 2,   NF-kB↓, 9,   PGE2↓, 1,   TNF-α↓, 7,  

Synaptic & Neurotransmission ⓘ

AChE↓, 9,   BChE↓, 1,   BDNF↑, 1,   ChAT↑, 1,   tau↓, 3,   p‑tau↓, 2,  

Protein Aggregation ⓘ

Aβ↓, 9,   BACE↓, 1,   NLRP3↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

BioAv↓, 9,   BioAv↑, 12,   BioAv↝, 1,   Dose↝, 2,   eff↑, 4,   Half-Life↓, 1,   Half-Life↝, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

ALAT↓, 2,   ALP↓, 1,   AST↓, 2,   BMD↑, 1,   CRP↓, 1,   Ferritin↑, 1,   GutMicro↑, 2,   IL6↓, 5,   LDH↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

AntiAge↑, 1,   AntiCan↑, 1,   AntiTum↓, 1,   cardioP↑, 1,   cognitive↑, 9,   cognitive↝, 1,   hepatoP↑, 4,   memory↑, 7,   neuroP↑, 9,   Obesity↓, 1,   OS↑, 1,   radioP↑, 3,   toxicity↓, 1,   toxicity∅, 1,   Wound Healing↓, 1,   Wound Healing↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 134

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: ROS, Reactive Oxygen Species
96 Curcumin
9 Resveratrol
6 Radiotherapy/Radiation
5 Quercetin
5 Chemotherapy
2 Silver-NanoParticles
2 EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate)
2 Galantamine
2 Ursolic acid
1 SonoDynamic Therapy UltraSound
1 Alpha-Lipoic-Acid
1 Boron
1 Chlorogenic acid
1 chitosan
1 Crocetin
1 Vitamin E
1 Huperzine A/Huperzia serrata
1 Rivastigmine
1 Ellagic acid
1 Cisplatin
1 Berberine
1 Melatonin
1 Silymarin (Milk Thistle) silibinin
1 5-fluorouracil
1 methylseleninic acid
1 Myricetin
1 Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
1 Thymoquinone
1 salinomycin
1 Selenium
1 Selenium NanoParticles
Query results interpretion may depend on "conditions" listed in the research papers.
Such Conditions may include : 
  -low or high Dose
  -format for product, such as nano of lipid formations
  -different cell line effects
  -synergies with other products 
  -if effect was for normal or cancerous cells

Filter Conditions: Pro/AntiFlg:%  IllCat:%  CanType:%  Cells:%  prod#:65  Target#:275  State#:%  Dir#:%
  wNotes=on  sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

Home Page