Curcumin as a therapeutic agent in the chemoprevention of inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), mainly Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are chronic ailments of the gastrointestinal tract, characterized by recurrent inflammation. Current therapeutic strategies are based on the mitigation of symptoms, including inflammatory remission and healing of mucosal manifestations. Extensive studies have suggested that continuous oxidative damage can lead to the inflammatory signaling cascade in IBD. Curcumin, a potent modulator of cell signaling, is popular for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, and has already been shown remarkable therapeutic results in IBD. Here, we review and discuss the effects of curcumin as a therapeutic agent in the chemoprevention of IBD.