The Complementary and Alternative Roles of Curcumin in Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis: An Umbrella Review

Evidence regarding curcumin supplementation in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) has been inconsistent. This umbrella review aimed to summarize the effects of curcumin supplementation on UC and assess the strength of the evidence. A systematic search was conducted across the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, CNKI, Sino-Med, VIP, and Wanfang databases from their inception to June 9, 2024. Two review authors independently extracted data. Methodological quality assessment, and evidence quality assessment, based on predetermined criteria, were performed by 2 independent reviewers. Seven systematic reviews and meta-analyses, encompassing 18 outcomes related to curcumin on UC, were included. Of these, 11 (77.78%) demonstrated statistical significance at the nominal level (P < .05). None of the reported outcomes were supported by high-certainty evidence, making the therapeutic potential of curcumin uncertain. Nevertheless, despite the widespread methodological shortcomings of the SRs/MAs, our study highlights opportunities to strengthen future research efforts. PROSPERO registration No. CRD42024564400.