Curcumin-Incorporated Biomaterials: In silico and in vitro evaluation of biological potentials

Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is the main constituent extracted from turmeric. This polyphenol is a non-toxic, potent compound with anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Due to the wide range of health benefits and pharmaceutical properties, curcumin has recently gained considerable attention in both in vitro and in vivo investigations. However, pharmaceutical applications of curcumin are limited due to its hydrophobicity which leads to low bioavailability. Here, we have highlighted recent advances in curcumin-incorporated biomaterials as an effective strategy to enhance curcumin bioavailability in biomedical applications, including drug delivery, regenerative medicine, cancer therapy, infectious disease treatment, and biosensing, suggesting that curcumin as a bioactive molecule is a promising natural compound for developing novel platforms to solve healthcare challenges. Understanding the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of curcumin and the interaction between curcumin and targets experimentally are complex, costly, time-consuming, and challenging. In this review, we elaborate on how current research integrates experimental and computational methods to assist and enrich our interpretation of the experimental results, thus providing a more comprehensive and detailed functional and molecular understanding toward better human health.