Effect of Curcumin on Oxidative Stress, Inflammatory Response and Kidney Biochemical Parameters Among Kidney Disease Patients: A Systematic Review

Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal diseases have high global morbidity and mortality. Objective We aimed to investigate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin and its impact on kidney biochemical parameters associated with kidney disease among CKD and hemodialysis (HD) patients. Methods The intended keywords were used in the literature search. Clinical trial studies from the beginning to December 25(th), 2021, indexed in the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), Scopus, and PubMed databases, were included in the review. Records with no accessible full texts, non-English language articles, and studies that were not related to the study aim were excluded. The agreement for exclusion required all authors to concur. Finally, after reviewing all available literature, 27 articles were included in this systematic review. Results Curcumin supplementation increased antioxidant capacity by improving catalase (CAT) activity, free radical scavenging activity, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). It also reduced hs-CRP, IL-6, and TNF-a levels in patients with CKD and HD patients. Different results were reported regarding the effect of curcumin on kidney-related biochemical parameters. But mostly, the results showed that no significant changes were seen in glomerular filtration (GFR), albumin (Alb), serum creatinine (sCr), proteinuria (PRO), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in these patients. Conclusion Although it seems curcumin improved antioxidant capacity and decreased inflammatory cytokines in CKD and HD patients, it did not affect renal biochemical parameters. More clinical studies with larger sample sizes appear to be needed.