Abstract
Curcumin is one of the most valuable natural products due to its pharmacological activities. However, the low bioavailability of curcumin has long been a problem for its medicinal use. Large studies have been conducted to improve the use of curcumin; among these studies, curcumin metabolites have become a relatively new research focus over the past few years. Additionally, accumulating evidence suggests that curcumin or curcuminoid metabolites have similar or better biological activity than the precursor of curcumin. Recent studies focus on the protective role of plasma tetrahydrocurcumin (THC), a main metabolite of curcumin, against tumors and chronic inflammatory diseases. Nevertheless, studies of THC in eye diseases have not yet been conducted. Since ophthalmic conditions play a crucial role in worldwide public health, the prevention and treatment of ophthalmic diseases are of great concern. Therefore, the present study investigated the antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antiangiogenic, and neuroprotective effects of THC on four major ocular diseases: age-related cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and diabetic retinopathy (DR). While this study aimed to show curcumin as a promising potential solution for eye conditions and discusses the involved mechanistic pathways, further work is required for the clinical application of curcumin.
Highlights
Due to lifestyle changes and increased longevity, increased attention is being paid to the population with visual impairment worldwide [1,2]
Age-related macular degeneration, inflammation, ischemia, and upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are highly correlated with retinal diseases, mainly due to vascular permeability changes [93]
The expression levels of microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 (LC3) and Beclin-1 were increased, and those of the ubiquitin-binding protein p62 were significantly decreased after THC treatment, indicating that THC modulated activation of the autophagy pathway, which was shown to play a protective role against brain trauma in rats [95]
Summary
Due to lifestyle changes and increased longevity, increased attention is being paid to the population with visual impairment worldwide [1,2] For this purpose, researchers are dedicated to finding specific botanical compounds, especially those from curcumin, widely used throughout history, to intervene in common mechanisms of damage in ocular pathologies [3]. Europeans introduced curcumin from Asia to the Western world, and Western medicine practitioners have discovered a surprisingly wide range of beneficial properties of this ancient remedy [4]. Considering these facts, we decided to investigate the effects of pharmaceutical products from curcumin on eye disorders and determine the ophthalmic diseases that can benefit from these products. In terms of improving the bioavailability of curcumin, in the paragraphs, we will discuss the following approaches to modify curcumin: delivery formulations and metabolites
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