Publication:

Cure from the rhizomes: the medicine behind the Indian saffron Curcumin

Indian system of medicine has always focused on cure from the nature. Plant products from the Indian household have been used as medicine to cure myriad of ailments since ancestral times. Curcumin is a polyphenol, an active ingredient found in turmeric. In Southeast Asia, turmeric has been used as a coloring, flavoring and as a therapeutic agent. The use of turmeric to treat ailments dates back to the times of Charaka and Shushrutha. It has been widely used as an antiseptic for cuts, burns, and bruises, and as an antibacterial agent. Modern medicine has begun to understand its importance in recent times. Unfortunately its poor solubility, limited absorption and enhanced metabolism limits its bioavailability for its extended therapeutic use. Integration of nanotechnology in drug design and development has led the way to development of nanocurcumin with improved pharmacological properties. A precise understanding of effective dose, safety, and mechanism of action is required for the rational use of turmeric in the treatment of human diseases. This review focuses on the molecular actions of curcumin and its possibility to be used as a therapeutic agent in conditions affecting oral mucosa.