A comprehensive review on Nanocurcumin: Advances in bioavailability and therapeutic applications

Abstract

Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, exhibits broad therapeutic potential but is limited by poor bioavailability. Nanocurcumin—curcumin formulated into nanoscale carriers—addresses these challenges by enhancing solubility, stability, targeted delivery, and circulation time. This review explores various nanocarrier systems including liposomes, micelles, nanoemulsions, nanogels, and polymeric nanoparticles, highlighting their role in improving curcumin’s pharmacokinetics and therapeutic impact. Nanocurcumin has demonstrated superior efficacy in preclinical models of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, and inflammatory conditions, often at lower doses than native curcumin. Despite encouraging results, clinical adoption remains limited due to regulatory, manufacturing, and safety evaluation hurdles. The review emphasizes the need for standardized formulations, in-depth toxicological assessments, and large-scale clinical trials to validate nanocurcumin's translational value. With further refinement, nanocurcumin holds promise as a powerful agent in personalized and precision medicine.