Abstract
Due to its vast therapeutic potential, the plant-derived polyphenol curcumin is utilized in an ever-growing number of health-related applications. Here, we report the extraction methodologies, therapeutic properties, advantages and disadvantages linked to curcumin employment, and the new strategies addressed to improve its effectiveness by employing advanced nanocarriers. The emerging nanotechnology applications used to enhance CUR bioavailability and its targeted delivery in specific pathological conditions are collected and discussed. In particular, new aspects concerning the main strategic nanocarriers employed for treating inflammation and oxidative stress-related diseases are reported and discussed, with specific emphasis on those topically employed in conditions such as wounds, arthritis, or psoriasis and others used in pathologies such as bowel (colitis), neurodegenerative (Alzheimer's or dementia), cardiovascular (atherosclerosis), and lung (asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) diseases. A brief overview of the relevant clinical trials is also included. We believe the review can provide the readers with an overview of the nanostrategies currently employed to improve CUR therapeutic applications in the highlighted pathological conditions.
Highlights
The incidence of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular (CV), cerebrovascular (CeV), neurodegenerative, metabolic, pulmonary, autoimmune, endocrine, and osteoarticular, is alarming growing worldwide [1,2,3,4,5,6]
Both Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) boost cell signaling pathways linked to increased proinflammatory gene expression, despite inflammation is regarded as a self-defense response of the human body to hazards, including injuries or allergens [4]
Another trial performed in hemodialysis patients shows that nanocurcumin (120 mg/day) decreases the serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), along with vascular cell adhesion molecules (VCAM)-1 and intracellular adhesion molecules (ICAM)-1, two proinflammatory adhesion molecules involved in endothelial dysfunction [163]
Summary
The incidence of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular (CV), cerebrovascular (CeV), neurodegenerative, metabolic, pulmonary, autoimmune, endocrine, and osteoarticular, is alarming growing worldwide [1,2,3,4,5,6] In this regard, the widely recognized crosstalk between inflammation, oxidative stress, and excessive proinflammatory cytokine production results in one of the main triggering factors in promoting the onset and progression of the aforementioned chronic conditions [7,8,9]. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) released from inflammatory cells lead to oxidative stress, which is widely recognized as the direct link between the inflammatory process and disease onset and progression [10,11,12] Both ROS and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) boost cell signaling pathways linked to increased proinflammatory gene expression, despite inflammation is regarded as a self-defense response of the human body to hazards, including injuries or allergens [4]. New emerging nanoformulations and nanodelivery systems aimed at improving CUR efficacy against selected oxidative stress- and inflammatory-associated diseases such as wounds, arthritis, psoriasis, colitis, Alzheimer atherosclerosis, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases are collected, analyzed, and discussed
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