title: Curcumin as a therapeutic agent in dementia: a mini systematic review of human studies.
abstract: Dementia is a leading health problem worldwide, with Alzheimer's disease (AD) representing up to 60% of all dementia cases. A growing interest has recently risen on the potential use of natural molecules in this condition. Curcumin is a polyphenolic compound traditionally used in Indian medicine. Several in vitro and in vivo studies have found a protective effect of curcumin in AD. In the present systematic review we aimed to evaluate the state-of-the-art of clinical trials of curcumin in AD. We retrieved three published studies, while there are several ongoing clinical trials. To date there is insufficient evidence to suggest the use of curcumin in dementia patients. Of note, short-term use of curcumin appears to be safe. Several reasons could be responsible for the discrepancy between in vitro and in vivo findings and human trials, such as low bioavailability and poor study design.
authors.affiliation: Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Bassi 21, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Natascia
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3128-1592
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Brondino
authors.affiliation: Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Bassi 21, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4475-6809
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Re
authors.affiliation: Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Bassi 21, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boldrini
authors.affiliation: Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Bassi 21, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cuccomarino
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Pavia, Viale Golgi 19, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Niccolò
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lanati
authors.affiliation: Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Bassi 21, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barale
authors.affiliation: Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Bassi 21, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4602-2032
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Politi
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003474:Curcumin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D003474:Curcumin