Molecular mechanisms underlying curcumin-mediated microRNA regulation in carcinogenesis; Focused on gastrointestinal cancers.

Curcumin is a bioactive ingredient found in the Rhizomes of Curcuma longa. Curcumin is well known for its chemopreventive and anti-cancer properties. Recent findings have demonstrated several pharmacological and biological impacts of curcumin, related to the control and the management of gastrointestinal cancers. Mechanistically, curcumin exerts its biological impacts via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects through the interaction with various transcription factors and signaling molecules. Moreover, epigenetic modulators such as microRNAs (miRNAs) have been revealed as novel targets of curcumin. Curcumin was discovered to regulate the expression of numerous pathogenic miRNAs in gastric, colorectal, esophageal and liver cancers. The present systematic review was performed to identify miRNAs that are modulated by curcumin in gastrointestinal cancers.