Czech J. Food Sci., 2017, 35(4):285-310 | DOI: 10.17221/584/2015-CJFS

Curcumin and its allied analogues: epigenetic and health perspectives - a reviewReview

Muhammad Imran¹, Muhammad Nadeem², Muhammad Asif Khan³, Sheraz Ahmed⁴, Ali Imran^*,5, Rai Muhammad Amir⁶, Muhammad Umair Arshad⁵, Syed Amir Gilani⁷, Farhan Saeed⁵, Abdur Rauf⁸, Zaffar Mehmood⁹, Shaista Khan¹⁰, Hafiz Ansar Rasul Suleria¹¹

¹ Department of Diet and Nutritional Sciences, Imperial College of Business Studies, Lahore, Pakistan

² Department of Environmental Sciences, CoMsaTs Institute of Information Technology, Vehari, Pakistan

³ University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-sub Campus Burewala/Vehari, Pakistan

⁴ Department of Food Science and Technology, Islamia University of Bhawalpur, Bhawalpur, Pakistan

⁵ Faculty of Home and Food Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan

⁶ Institute of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Pmas-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

⁷ Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan

⁸ Department of Chemistry, University of Swabi, Ankbar Swabi, Pakistan

⁹ Department of Biological Sciences, Forman Christian College, Lahore, Pakistan

¹⁰ Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Pakistan

¹¹ Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, School of Medicine, Brisbane, Australia

Curcumin (diferuoyl methane) is a yellow active ingredient present in turmeric. It is a homodimer of feruloylmethane that comprises a hydroxyl and methoxy group (heptadiene with two Michael acceptors), and α-, β-diketone. It contains various metabolites, i.e. hexahydrocurcumin (HHC), tetrahydrocurcumin (THC), octahydrocurcumin (OHC), dihydrocurcumin (DHC), curcumin sulphate, and curcumin glucuronide. Curcumin has been proven the most effective histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor in HeLa nuclear extracts. It has the ability to affect the Akt, growth factors, NF-kB, and metastatic and angiogenic pathways. Curcumin has a strong therapeutic or preventive potential against several major human ailments, i.e. suppression of inflammation, cardiovascular, diabetes, tumorigenesis, chronic fatigue, antidepressant and neurological activities, depression, loss of muscle and bone, and neuropathic pain. In future, higher utilisation of curcumin as an active agent in food based products is required to curtail the human health disorders.

Keywords: turmeric; chemistry and metabolism; epigenetic role; anticancer; low toxicity

Published: August 31, 2017  Show citation