Anti-Viral Potential of Curcumins: Ethnopharmacology, Chemistry, and Clinical Studies Focusing on Mechanism of Action and Future Perspectives

Viruses have always been a serious public health concern, and scientists have worked diligently to make new anti-viral medicines. Virus infections cause a variety of chronic and acute diseases in humans and animals. Despite substantial advancements in human medicine, a number of viral diseases, including hepatitis, respiratory syndromes, and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, continue to be associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality in humans. Natural products, such as anti-virals, are a rich source of structurally unique chemical molecules derived from plants or other organisms. Many pathological illnesses have been treated with plant-derived medications in traditional medicine. The main source of curcumin and an ancient Asian coloring spice known as turmeric has long been used for a number of treatments. In addition to being a spice, food preservative, and coloring agent, turmeric has historically been used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat a variety of illnesses, including arthritis, ulcers, jaundice, wounds, fever, trauma, and skin illnesses like psoriasis. Turmeric’s main active ingredient is curcumin, a hydrophobic polyphenol. Since ancient times, Asia has used curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a low-molecular-weight orange-yellow substance derived from the roots of Curcuma longa L. (family Zingiberaceae), for therapeutic, culinary, and other uses. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated the anticancer, anti-viral, antiarthritic, anti-amyloid, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin. Curcumin found active against series of viral infections caused by coronavirus, human immunodeficiency virus, influenza A virus, hepatitis virus, etc. This chapter mainly focuses on curcumin derivatives that have anti-viral action against human viruses and how they might be used to treat or prevent viral illness.