Abstract
Lesion or disease of the somatosensory system leads to the development of neuropathic pain. Peripheral neuropathic pain encompasses damage or injury of the peripheral nervous system. On the other hand, 10–15% of individuals suffer from acute postoperative pain followed by persistent pain after undergoing surgeries. Antidepressants, anticonvulsants, baclofen, and clonidine are used to treat peripheral neuropathy, whereas opioids are used to treat postoperative pain. The negative effects associated with these drugs emphasize the search for alternative therapeutics with better efficacy and fewer side effects. Curcumin, a polyphenol isolated from the roots of Curcuma longa, possesses antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Furthermore, the low bioavailability and fast metabolism of curcumin have led to the advent of various curcumin formulations. The present review provides a comprehensive analysis on the effects of curcumin and its formulations in preclinical and clinical studies of neuropathic and postoperative pain. Based on the positive outcomes from both preclinical and clinical studies, curcumin holds the promise of mitigating or preventing neuropathic and postoperative pain conditions. However, more clinical studies with improved curcumin formulations are required to involve its use as adjuvant to neuropathic and postoperative drugs.
Highlights
Neuropathic pain has been defined as a process occurring after a primary lesion or the disease of the somatosensory nervous system [1]
Curcumin turned out to be less efficacious in a chronic constriction injury-chronic constriction release (CCI-CCR) model of neuropathic pain when compared to a neuropathic drug tramadol hydrochloride, a synthetic opioid from the aminocyclohexanol group [145]
The current review provides important information regarding the potential effects of curcumin in treating different peripheral neuropathic conditions, including alcoholic neuropathy, Constriction Injury (CCI), chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), diabetic painful neuropathy (DPN), Spared Nerve Injury (SNI), and Spinal Nerve Ligation (SNL)-induced neuropathic and postoperative pain (Figure 4)
Summary
Neuropathic pain has been defined as a process occurring after a primary lesion or the disease of the somatosensory nervous system [1]. According to the Special Interest Group on Neuropathic Pain, gabapentinoids, tricyclic antidepressants, and selective serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors have been identified as the first-line drugs for neuropathic pain, whereas lidocaine, capsaicin, and tramadol are considered second-line drugs Opioids such as morphine, oxycodone, and botulinum toxin-A are included as third-line treatments for peripheral neuropathic pain [4]. The present review provides insights into the analgesic effects of curcumin and its formulations in neuropathic and postoperative pain conditions and explores its limitations in preclinical and clinical studies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive review that provides in-depth insights into the effects of curcumin and its different formulations on behavioral, electrophysiological, and molecular aspects of both peripheral neuropathic and postoperative pain
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