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© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI), represent an escalating global health and economic challenge. In the quest for disease-modifying interventions, natural polyphenols—most notably curcumin, the principal bioactive compound of Curcuma longa—have attracted considerable interest due to their pleiotropic neuroprotective effects. This narrative review critically synthesizes findings from a selection of peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2025, chosen for their relevance to curcumin’s molecular mechanisms and translational potential. Curcumin’s complex chemical structure confers antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and epigenetic modulatory properties; however, its clinical application is limited by poor oral bioavailability. Mechanistically, curcumin attenuates oxidative stress and suppresses key inflammatory mediators, including nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Additionally, it modulates apoptosis, inhibits amyloid-beta aggregation, and enhances cellular quality control processes such as autophagy and mitophagy, while upregulating neurotrophic factors such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Preclinical studies employing rodent models of AD, PD, and ischemic stroke have demonstrated curcumin’s dose-dependent neuroprotective efficacy, with improved outcomes observed using nanoparticle-based delivery systems. Early-phase clinical trials further support curcumin’s favorable safety profile and potential cognitive benefits, although challenges remain regarding pharmacokinetics, formulation standardization, and therapeutic reproducibility. Future directions include the development of advanced drug delivery platforms, combinatory therapeutic regimens, and personalized medicine approaches integrating curcumin within multifaceted neurotherapeutic strategies. Collectively, this narrative review highlights curcumin as a promising multi-targeted candidate for combating neurodegenerative diseases, while emphasizing the need for further translational and clinical validation.

Details

Title
The Neuroprotective Role of Curcumin: From Molecular Pathways to Clinical Translation—A Narrative Review
Author
Lehoczki Andrea 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Fekete Mónika 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Jarecsny Tamás 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Virág, Zábó 4 ; Szappanos Ágnes 5 ; Csípő Tamás 2 ; Lipécz Ágnes 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Major Dávid 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Fazekas-Pongor Vince 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Varga Péter 1 ; Varga, János Tamás 6   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Institute of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary; [email protected] (A.L.); [email protected] (M.F.); [email protected] (T.C.); [email protected] (Á.L.); [email protected] (D.M.); [email protected] (V.F.-P.); [email protected] (P.V.), Fodor Center for Prevention and Healthy Aging, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary; [email protected], Health Sciences Division, Doctoral College, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary 
 Institute of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary; [email protected] (A.L.); [email protected] (M.F.); [email protected] (T.C.); [email protected] (Á.L.); [email protected] (D.M.); [email protected] (V.F.-P.); [email protected] (P.V.), Fodor Center for Prevention and Healthy Aging, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary; [email protected] 
 Department of Neurology and Stroke, Saint John’s Central Hospital of North Buda, 1125 Budapest, Hungary; [email protected] 
 Fodor Center for Prevention and Healthy Aging, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary; [email protected], Heart and Vascular Center, Semmelweis University, 1122 Budapest, Hungary; [email protected] 
 Heart and Vascular Center, Semmelweis University, 1122 Budapest, Hungary; [email protected], Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary 
 Department of Pulmonology, Semmelweis University, 1083 Budapest, Hungary 
First page
2884
Publication year
2025
Publication date
2025
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20726643
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3249701203
Copyright
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.