School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, 345050, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
University Center for Research & Development (UCRD), Chandigarh University, Mohali, 140413, Punjab, India; Biotechnology Engineering and Food Technology, Chandigarh University, Mohali, 140413, Punjab, India.
Environ Res. 2023 Sep 15;233:116476. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116476. Epub 2023 Jun 20.
Curcumin, derived from turmeric, has a strong anticancer potential known for millennia. The development of this phytochemical as a medicine has been hampered by several significant deficiencies, including its poor water solubility and low bioavailability. This review article discusses possibilities to overcome these bottlenecks by focusing on this natural polyphenol's nanoformulation. Moreover, preparation of curcumin conjugates containing folates as ligands for folic acid receptors can add a new important dimension in this field, allowing specific targeting of cancer cells, considering the significantly higher expression of these receptors in malignant tissues compared to normal cells. It is highly expected that simultaneous improvement of different aspects of curcumin in fighting against such a complex and multifaceted disease like cancer. Therefore, we can better comprehend cancer biology by developing a mechanistic understanding of curcumin, which will also inspire the scientific community to develop new pharmacological models, and exploration of emerging directions to revitalize application of natural products in cancer therapy.
姜黄素是从姜黄中提取的，具有强大的抗癌潜力，这一特性已为人所知数千年。这种植物化学物质作为药物的发展受到几个重大缺陷的阻碍，包括其较差的水溶性和低生物利用度。本文通过关注这种天然多酚的纳米制剂，讨论了克服这些瓶颈的可能性。此外，通过制备含有叶酸作为叶酸受体配体的姜黄素缀合物，可以为该领域增加一个新的重要维度，考虑到与正常细胞相比，这些受体在恶性组织中的表达明显更高，从而可以实现对癌细胞的特异性靶向。人们高度期望通过改善姜黄素在对抗癌症等复杂和多方面疾病方面的不同方面，同时提高其疗效。因此，通过对姜黄素作用机制的深入了解，我们可以更好地理解癌症生物学，这也将激励科学界开发新的药理模型，并探索新兴方向，使天然产物在癌症治疗中的应用重新焕发生机。
