Curcumin.pdf

Curcumin, a conspicuous curcuminoid recognized as pharmacological inherent active constituent of turmeric has vibrant potential to explore as nutraceutical in formulation of functional food products. It’s non-communicable chronic diseases (Neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, allergies, and certain types of cancer) risk bearer efficacy need to be justified in coordination with nutraceutical food value. Oxidative damage and inflammation have been pointed out in preclinical studies as the root cause of cancer and other chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, Alzheimer’s disease, etc. Epidemiological and clinical studies have suggested that cancer could be prevented or significantly reduced by treatment with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory drugs, therefore, curcumin, a principal component of turmeric (a curry spice) showing strong anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, might be a potential candidate for the prevention and/or treatment of cancer and other chronic diseases. curcumin, a highly pleiotropic molecule with an excellent safety profile targeting multiple diseases with strong evidence on the molecular level could not achieve much importance as fortifying agent in food products. This review focuses mainly on nutraceutical potential of curcumin and use as a food ingredient.