Unlocking the Potential of Curcumin: A Mini-Review of Its Anti-inflammatory Properties in COVID-19 Patients
Authors:   Medical Student, Faculty of Medicine, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Toluca de Lerdo, Mexico, Contreras Alvaro , Azevedo Soster Leticia ,   Child Neurologist, Clinical Neurophysiologist, University of Sao Paulo Medical School (USP), Sao Paulo, Brazil, Rivera-Palma Alejandra ,   Research Unit, Clínica Dávila, Santiago, Chile, Zumbado-Morales Rodrigo ,   Medical student, School of Medicine, Universidad de Ciencias Médicas (UCIMED), San José, Costa Rica, Marcela Arenas Claudia ,   Dermatologist, Militar University of New Granada, Bogotá, Colombia, Sanca-Valeriano Silvia ,   Medical Researcher. Translational Health Research and Innovation Center, Universidad Privada del Norte, Lima, Peru, Nadal Maripaz Mera ,   Medical Student, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, Santiago, República Dominicana, Alvarez-Florian Laura M. ,   PPCR program, Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA, Germano Toledo Rafaela ,   Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, MA, USA, Garcia Alves Raphael ,   Clinical Oncologist, Hospital Santa Cruz - Rede D’Or, Curitiba, Brazil, de Azevedo Silvia Schoenau ,   Hcor heart hospital, São Paulo, São Paulo, Novotny Karel ,   Vascular Surgeon, Department for Thoracic, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Klinikum Chemnitz gGmbH, Germany, Prado Ana Isabel ,   Universidad Francisco Marroquin, Guatemala City, Guatemala, Paula Mañon María ,   Medical student, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), Santiago, Dominican Republic, Lomachinsky Torres Victor ,   PPCR program, Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA, Subramaniam Thirumalairajan ,   PPCR program, Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA, Mavignier Nathalia ,   Research Scholar in Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain Medicine, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Woite Anderson ,   University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Hernández Martin Rafael Ribeiro ,   Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, MA, USA
Published: November 2023

Introduction: Viral diseases are a current concern around the world. Treatment alternatives are a field of growing interest in treating these diseases. Curcumin has already proven effective and is known for its anti-inflammatory properties in vitro; however, the impact of this natural compound in the clinical setting needs to be clarified, especially in the use of COVID-19 disease. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed using MeSH terms in August 2023. All selected articles were randomized clinical trials that evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of curcumin in patients with acute-stage COVID-19 viral diseases in people over 18 years of age. The research was conducted using MeSH terms. Results: 413 studies were identified, of which only 4 met the inclusion criteria. It was shown that curcumin reduces inflammatory markers in patients with COVID-19 in the acute phase. Discussion:  Despite evidence of improvement of inflammatory markers of curcumin in subjects with COVID-19, the clinical utility is still unknown because most trials did not describe clinical outcomes. Conclusion: Although curcumin is a promising anti-inflammatory resource, more stringent clinical trials with well-defined results are needed to evaluate the effect of curcumin on clinical outcomes—additionally, strict protocols to control bias.