Curcumin in Eye Diseases

Curcumin, A Potential Therapeutic Candidate for Anterior Segment Eye Diseases: A Review

Abstract
Curcumin, the major curcuminoid of the turmeric, has been extensively used in many
countries since ancient time for preventing and/or treating a multitude of diseases. This
review is to illustrate the researches on the properties of curcumin and its potential
therapeutic efficacy in major anterior segment eye diseases. The bio-medical potential
of curcumin is restricted because of its low solubility and digestive bioavailability. This
review will discuss promising research in improving curcumin bioavailability through
structural modification. In vitro and in vivo research made progress in studying the
beneficial effects of curcumin on major anterior segment eye diseases, including antiangiogenesis
effect in corneal diseases; anti-inflammation or anti-allergy effects in
dry eye disease, conjunctivitis, anterior uveitis; anti-proliferation and pro-apoptosis
effects in pterygium; anti-oxidative stress, anti-osmotic stress, anti-lipid peroxidation,
pro-apoptosis, regulating calcium homeostasis, sequestrating free radicals, protein
modification and degradation effects in cataracts; neuroprotective effects in glaucoma.
Curcumin exhibited to be a potent therapeutic candidate for treating those anterior
segment eye diseases.​