Effects of Curcumin on Transcription Factors and Enzyme Activities in Visceral Organs and the Brain

Abstract

Curcumin, a dietary polyphenol, is a constituent of Indian spice turmeric. The most important feature of curcumin is that it has very little or no side effects despite being a therapeutic agent with multiple beneficial functions. The antioxidant mechanism of curcumin is due to its specific conjugated structure of two methoxylated phenols and an enol form of β-diketone. This structure is responsible for free radical trapping ability as a chain breaking antioxidant. The effects of curcumin are mediated through the modulation of transcription factors, such as NF-κB, AP-1, STAT3, HIF-1α; Nrf2, FOXO, and E2F factors and enzyme activities. Curcumin also exerts its effects by blocking cell cycle progression and triggering apoptotic cell death in dose and time dependent manner. Suppression of NF-κB, AP-1, STAT3, HIF-1α; Nrf2, FOXO, and E2F by curcumin plays a central role in regulating the expression of various genes involved in cell survival, apoptosis, carcinogenesis and inflammation. These properties make curcumin a powerful therapeutic agent for the treatment of cancer and other chronic diseases.