Curcumin, a golden spice with a low bioavailability

In recent years several drugs have been developed deriving from traditional products and current drug research is actively investigating the possible therapeutic roles of many Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicinal remedies. Prominent among those being examined is turmeric. Its main active ingredient is curcumin (C). Curcumin acts as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinoma, antimicrobial, antiviral, hypoglycemic and wound healer. It has shown therapeutic efficacy in numerous chronic diseases and in some kinds of cancer in vitro and in vivo. Despite much evidence of its efficacy and safety, curcumin has not yet been approved as a therapeutic agent due to its low bioavailability, instability at physiological pH, insolubility in water, slow uptake by cells and rapid metabolism inside cells. The aim of this review is to summarize the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic characteristics of curcumin and to compare the different pharmaceutical strategies employed to increase its bioavailability.