Is Curcumin a Chemopreventive Agent for Colorectal Cancer?

Curcumin is the main component of the Indian spice curcuma (Indian saffron), originating from its rhizome. Curcumin is consumed as food, anywhere in the world and almost daily in India. It has also been used as a drug in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. This polyphenol substance has pleiotropic effects, interfering with many signaling molecules: pro-inflammatory molecules, transcription factors, enzymes, protein kinases, transport proteins, proteins involved in cell survival, adhesion molecules, growth factors, receptors, proteins regulating cell cycle, chemokines, nucleic acids.. Oral bioavailability of traditional forms of curcumin is low, making it particularly suitable for therapy of diseases of the intestinal tract. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-proliferative, and pro-apoptotic properties, making it an excellent candidate as a chemopreventive agent in colorectal cancer. Contrasting with many in vitro studies devoted to curcumin and a lot of in vivo studies on animal models, curcumin has rarely been assessed in clinical studies dealing with digestive oncology. However, several clinical trials are in progress in this domain. Until now, curcumin has no official medical indication.