Berry Alessandra, Collacchi Barbara, Masella Roberta, Varì Rosaria, Cirulli Francesca
Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
Center for Gender-specific Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
Nutrients. 2021 Apr 30;13(5):1519. doi: 10.3390/nu13051519.
Due to the global increase in lifespan, the proportion of people showing cognitive impairment is expected to grow exponentially. As target-specific drugs capable of tackling dementia are lagging behind, the focus of preclinical and clinical research has recently shifted towards natural products. Curcumin, one of the best investigated botanical constituents in the biomedical literature, has been receiving increased interest due to its unique molecular structure, which targets inflammatory and antioxidant pathways. These pathways have been shown to be critical for neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and more in general for cognitive decline. Despite the substantial preclinical literature on the potential biomedical effects of curcumin, its relatively low bioavailability, poor water solubility and rapid metabolism/excretion have hampered clinical trials, resulting in mixed and inconclusive findings. In this review, we highlight current knowledge on the potential effects of this natural compound on cognition. Furthermore, we focus on new strategies to overcome current limitations in its use and improve its efficacy, with attention also on gender-driven differences.
由于全球寿命延长，认知障碍人群的比例预计将呈指数增长。由于能够治疗痴呆症的靶向药物滞后，临床前和临床研究的重点最近已转向天然产物。姜黄素是生物医学文献中研究最多的植物成分之一，因其独特的分子结构而受到越来越多的关注，该结构靶向炎症和抗氧化途径。这些途径已被证明对神经退行性疾病如阿尔茨海默病至关重要，更普遍地说，对认知衰退也很重要。尽管有大量关于姜黄素潜在生物医学作用的临床前文献，但其相对较低的生物利用度、较差的水溶性和快速的代谢/排泄阻碍了临床试验，导致结果不一且无定论。在这篇综述中，我们强调了关于这种天然化合物对认知潜在影响的当前知识。此外，我们关注克服其当前使用局限性并提高其疗效的新策略，同时也关注性别差异。
