Curcumin innovative delivery forms: Paving the ‘yellow brick road’ of antitumoral phytotherapy

Abstract

This review deals with the various aspects involved in the medicinal action of curcumin, from the photosensitivity and its relevance to storage and shelf-life, to the different routes of administration, which influence the bioavailability. The focus of the review is on the antitumor properties of curcumin and the currently available solutions for their amelioration. The work starts by presenting a brief historical perspective on the origins and uses of curcumin, from early days until the present time. The following sections describe the physico-chemical properties of curcumin and their impact on the biological activity and pharmacokinetics, raising awareness to the need for formulations able to improve the bioavailability. The last section is focused on research efforts being made to circumvent curcumin’s instability and low availability due to the extensive hepatic first pass metabolism, describing innovative scientific advances and new patented formulations and emerging products on the market.