Research progress of curcumin in the treatment of sepsis

Abstract Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by an unregulated host response to infection. It is an important clinical problem in acute and critical care. In recent years, with the increasing research on the epidemiology, and pathogenesis, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies of sepsis, great progress has been made in clinical practice, but there is still a lack of specific and effective treatment plans. Curcuma longa, a leafy plant of the ginger family, which is a common and safe compound, has multiple pharmacological actions, including, but not limited to, scavenging of oxygen free radicals, attenuation of inflammatory response, and anti-fibrotic effects. Great progress has been made in the study of sepsis-associated rodent models and in vitro cellular models. However, the evidence of curcumin in the clinical management practice of sepsis is still insufficient; hence, it is very important to systematically summarize the study of curcumin and sepsis pathogenesis.