title: Multifaceted roles of curcumin: two sides of a coin!
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Curcumin has been a front-line topic of mainstream scientific research for a variety of diseases from cancer to Alzheimer's to infectious diseases. Curcumin suppresses the type 1 immune response, which might lead to alleviation of type 1 immune response disorders. However, the inhibition of type 1 immune response might invite infections with opportunistic pathogens. Considering its low bioavailability, several curcumin derivatives have been designed to improve its functionality.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a consolidated review which aims to compare and contrast diverse aspects of curcumin in variety of diseases. The intricate underlying mechanisms and the functional determinants of curcumin are discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Curcumin being considered as a spicy panacea, is not a remedy for all diseases. However, its ability to act differentially as an anti-oxidant or pro-oxidant akin to that of a double-edged sword/friend turning foe can be either beneficial or harmful for the host. It exhibits anti-oxidant properties at concentrations achievable in the body, making the host vulnerable to infections due to the suppression of innate immune responses. With the increase in knowledge of its functional groups, production of analogues of curcumin is underway to enhance its bioavailability and hence its therapeutic potency.
authors.affiliation: Indian Institute of Science, Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Biosafety Laboratories, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Bangalore 560012, India.
authors.forename: Sandhya A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Marathe
authors.forename: Ishani
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dasgupta
authors.forename: Divya Prakash
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Gnanadhas
authors.forename: Dipshikha
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chakravortty
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D003474:Curcumin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015394:Molecular Structure; D016877:Oxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D016877:Oxidants; D003474:Curcumin