Curcumin: an inflammasome silencer

Shima Hasanzadeh; Morgayn I Read; Abigail R Bland; Muhammed Majeed; Tannaz Jamialahmadi; Amirhossein Sahebkar

doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104921

Curcumin: an inflammasome silencer

Pharmacol Res. 2020 Sep:159:104921. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104921. Epub 2020 May 25.

Authors

Shima Hasanzadeh¹, Morgayn I Read², Abigail R Bland³, Muhammed Majeed⁴, Tannaz Jamialahmadi⁵, Amirhossein Sahebkar⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
² Department of Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
³ Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
⁴ Sabinsa Corporation, East Windsor, NJ, United States.
⁵ Biotechnology Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Food Science and Technology, Quchan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Quchan, Iran; Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
⁶ Neurogenic Inflammation Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Halal Research Center of IRI, FDA, Tehran, Iran; Biotechnology Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad 9177948564, Iran. Electronic address: sahebkara@mums.ac.ir.

PMID: 32464325
DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104921

Abstract

Curcumin is the major bioactive polyphenolic ingredient of turmeric. Increasing evidence indicates that the health benefits of curcumin are mediated through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Inflammasomes are essential components of inflammatory pathways that activate caspase-1 leading to pyroptosis and stimulate maturation and secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) through nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling. The current review outlines the mechanisms of curcumin as an inflammasome modulator in inflammatory-related diseases. Regulation of NF-κB signaling and interleukins secretion is the most prominent functional mechanism of curcumin in modulating inflammasomes. More importantly, curcumin can exert its anti-inflammatory role mainly through the down-regulation of NLRP3 inflammasomes. Given the fundamental role of inflammation in diseases, such as arthritis, cancer and cardiorenal disease, curcumin may have a pivotal therapeutic role through its ability to produce beneficial anti-inflammatory effects.

Keywords: Curcumin; Inflammasome; Inflammation; NF-κB signaling pathway; NLRP3; Proinflammatory cytokines.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacokinetics
Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use*
Curcumin / pharmacokinetics
Curcumin / therapeutic use*
Cytokines / antagonists & inhibitors
Cytokines / metabolism
Humans
Inflammasomes / antagonists & inhibitors*
Inflammasomes / metabolism
Inflammation / drug therapy*
Inflammation / metabolism
Inflammation Mediators / antagonists & inhibitors
Inflammation Mediators / metabolism
NF-kappa B / antagonists & inhibitors
NF-kappa B / metabolism
NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein / antagonists & inhibitors*
NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein / metabolism
Signal Transduction

Substances

Anti-Inflammatory Agents
Cytokines
Inflammasomes
Inflammation Mediators
NF-kappa B
NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein
NLRP3 protein, human
Curcumin