Curcumin as endometriosis treatment: efficacy, drawbacks, and future perspectives
Date
2024
DOI
Authors
Version
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
Endometriosis is a pathologically complex gynecological disease involving the ectopic growth of endometrial tissue. Symptoms such as pain, dysmenorrhea, and infertility have significant negative effects on patients’ lives including decreased productivity, and psychological distress. Despite the prevalence of endometriosis, current treatment options are limited. Subsequently, many patients navigate towards natural remedies for symptom relief. Curcumin, the active polyphenol in the spice turmeric, is one of the most popular plant-based supplements used as an endometriosis treatment. It has a rich history of use in traditional medicine practices, but contemporary medicine has now turned to curcumin as well due to its multifaceted effects in a wide variety of diseases. Curcumin is effective at treating endometriosis on multiple pathological levels including as an anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, and anti-cell proliferation agent. Curcumin is a safe supplement to ingest orally, but it is still associated with certain side effects. Additionally, its low bioavailability in vivo somewhat hinders its effectiveness at treating endometriosis. Therefore, many novel approaches to curcumin administration are being developed. Alterations to curcumin such as complexation with transition metals can increase its bioavailability and its effectiveness at decreasing the size and number of endometriotic lesions. Additionally, surgical implantation of curcumin-loaded nanofibers has been shown to reduce endometriotic lesions. Lastly, a micellar form of curcumin has potential to increase the bioavailability of curcumin overall. Further research is needed to confirm the effectiveness and potential drawbacks of these methods of curcumin administration, but they present intriguing steps towards making curcumin an even more effective endometriosis treatment.
Description
2024
License
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International