Curcumin, an active component of turmeric in the prevention and treatment of ulcerative colitis: preclinical and clinical observations.

摘要

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), comprising ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease, is a major ailment affecting the small and large bowel. This review discusses the use of curcumin (turmeric) in the prevention and treatment of ulcerative colitis. Aspects considered include: turmeric in traditional medicines; curcumin, an investigational agent in IBD; mechanism of action (modulation of TLR-4 receptor, increase in PPAR- gamma, modulation of signal transduction, decrease in NF- kappaB activation); modulation of cytokines; inhibition of MPO; inhibition of nitric oxide and iNOS; modulation of MDR1a; and human studies.