Curcuminoid Nanovesicles as Advanced Therapeutics

Turmeric (Curcuma longa rhizome) is well-known for its therapeutic properties in traditional Indian and Chinese medicines. It has preventive and therapeutic activity against diseases that target human body systems as well as various cancer types. This review focuses on the mechanism of action of curcumin against various factors involved in the metastatic process. The antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti-oxidant, and anti-HIV activities and mechanism of curcumin-functionalized nanovesicles are also reviewed. Despite the biocompatibility of curcumins, its medical applications are limited due to its low bioavailability, insolubility in water, and degradation at certain pH levels. Moreover, the low stability and rapid metabolism of curcumin limits its clinical applications. Therefore, it is imperative to design strategies to mitigate this shortfall which include the synthesis of curcumin glycosides or the development of curcumin delivery systems to improve the bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy of curcumin. This review provides insight into the different chemical methods for the synthesis and modification adopted to achieve these compounds.