Therapeutic effects of curcumin and the challenge of bioavailability

Abstract

Turmeric is a widely used popular medicinal plant. It belongs to the family zingiberaceae. It has found wide application in different cuisines in different parts of the world. Along with it being used as a spice, it also serves as a wonderful therapeutic medicine. It has been used to treat various infections, wounds and disease since ancient times. But, despite of turmeric having numerous uses it has bioavailability issues owing to its poor absorption in the human body, rapid metabolism and excretion and is chemically instability. The objective of this comprehensive review is to analyze the impact of curcumin, a principal bioactive component present in turmeric on human health and the concerns related to its bioavailability.