Anti-Asthmatic and Cardioprotective Efficacy of Curcumin-A Review

Abstract

Curcumin is a natural yellow pigment of turmeric. It is used for the treatment of diseases like Alzheimer's disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, neuropathic pain, psoriasis, cancer and atherosclerosis. The present review aims to encompass the studies of curcumin as anti-asthmatic and cardioprotective. It has shown antiallergic properties by inhibiting histamine release from mast cells. It has been evidenced to have anti-inflammatory properties through inhibition of the NF-κB pathway. By its good radical scavenging activity, it has proved to be potent in treating cardiovascular diseases. However, its combination with other asthma and cardio medicines needs to be evaluated, especially; combination of herbal medicines or curcumin along with synthetic drugs can lead to positive outcomes. Moreover, derivatives of the drug can also show some promising results and more derivatives, like CNB001, must be synthesized and investigated to control airway epithelial cell function and asthma. Only little work has been done so far showing its effects on the pulmonary functions of smokers, so this area needs to be explored by further clinical trials.