title: Curcumin as potential therapeutic natural product: a nanobiotechnological perspective.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems can resolve the poor bioavailability issue allied with curcumin. The therapeutic potential of curcumin can be enhanced by making nanocomposite preparation of curcumin with metal oxide nanoparticles, poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles and solid lipid nanoparticles that increases its bioavailability in the tissue.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Curcumin has manifold therapeutic effects which include antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Curcumin can inhibit diabetes, heavy metal and stress-induced hypertension with its antioxidant, chelating and inhibitory effects on the pathways that lead to hypertension. Curcumin is an anticancer agent that can prevent abnormal cell proliferation. Nanocurcumin is an improved form of curcumin with enhanced therapeutic properties due to improved delivery to the diseased tissue, better internalization and reduced systemic elimination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Curcumin has multiple pharmacologic effects, but its poor bioavailability reduces its therapeutic effects. By conjugating curcumin to metal oxide nanoparticles or encapsulation in lipid nanoparticles, dendrimers, nanogels and polymeric nanoparticles, the water solubility and bioavailability of curcumin can be improved and thus increase its pharmacological effectiveness.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Botany and Biotechnology, Karimganj College, Karimganj, Assam, India.|Department of Life Science and Bioinformatics, Assam University, Assam, India.
authors.forename: Soumitra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shome
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science and Bioinformatics, Assam University, Assam, India.
authors.forename: Anupam Das
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Talukdar
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science and Bioinformatics, Assam University, Assam, India.
authors.forename: Manabendra Dutta
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Choudhury
authors.affiliation: Departments of Botany and Biotechnology, Karimganj College, Karimganj, Assam, India.
authors.forename: Mrinal Kanti
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Bhattacharya
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Cotton College State University, Guwahati, Assam, India.
authors.forename: Hrishikesh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Upadhyaya
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001682:Biological Availability; D003474:Curcumin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004337:Drug Carriers; D004339:Drug Compounding; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles; D036103:Nanotechnology; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D012995:Solubility; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D008055:Lipids; D010087:Oxides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D019344:Lactic Acid; D003474:Curcumin
keywords: curcumin; nanocomposite formulations; nanocurcumin; theraputic potential