Medicinal Plant Research 2025, Vol.15, No.6, 254-263 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/mpr 256 Figure 1 The underground part of turmeric shows the rhizome and root (Adopted from Setzer et al., 2021) 2.3 Molecular basis of synergistic interactions among components Recent studies show that mixtures of curcuminoids in their natural proportions have much greater biological activity compared with isolated compounds, reflecting synergy. Volatile oils may also potentiate curcuminoid bioavailability and influence various signaling pathways, further reinforcing the overall efficacy of turmeric extracts (Fuloria et al., 2022; Cozmin et al., 2024). 3Curcuma longa and Curcumin: Mechanisms of Anti-inflammatory Effects 3.1 Inhibition of inflammatory signaling pathways (NF-κB, MAPK, JAK/STAT) Curcumin potently suppresses several critical inflammatory signaling pathways, such as NF-κB, MAPK (p38, ERK, JNK), and JAK/STAT. It prevents NF-κB activation through IκBα stabilization and inhibits nuclear translocation; it also directly interferes with the DNA-binding domain of NF-κB p65. Curcumin suppresses the phosphorylation of MAPKs and inhibits STAT3 activation, which in turn broadly suppresses the expression of inflammatory genes (Kahkhaie et al., 2019; Ghany et al., 2023). These occur in a concentration-dependent and multi-cellular manner involving immune and epithelial cells (Kahkhaie et al., 2019). It downregulates the synthesis and expression of the major pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and enzymes such as COX-2 and iNOS. This results in reduced synthesis of prostaglandins and nitric oxide, both central to the inflammatory response. These have been demonstrated in in vitro studies and in animal models of inflammation (Kahkhaie et al., 2019; Kim et al., 2022; Ghany et al., 2023). 3.3 Cross-talk between antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities Its antioxidant action is seriously interrelated with its anti-inflammation action. It activates the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, enhances cellular antioxidant defense capacity, and decreases oxidative stress, leading to the suppression of NF-κB activation and its downstream inflammatory mediators. This cross-talk enhances the action of curcumin in controlling inflammation (Kim et al., 2022; Ghany et al., 2023). Curcumin regulates apoptosis through the upregulation of anti-apoptotic proteins, such as Bcl-2; downregulation of pro-apoptotic factors, such as Bax and caspase-3; and preservation of mitochondrial integrity. Moreover,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNA==