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Curcumin Modulation of the Gut-Brain Axis for Neuroinflammation and Metabolic Disorders Prevention and Treatment
Miriam Cerullo, Federica Armeli, Beatrice Mengoni, Martina Menin, Maria Luisa Crudeli, Rita Businaro. Nutrients, 2025-04-24
Topic: Gut, metabolism and diet
Curcumin, a polyphenolic compound derived from Curcuma longa, has gained significant attention for its potential therapeutic benefits, particularly counteracting inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolic disorders. Its chemical structure, featuring conjugated double bonds between two aromatic rings, allows it to act as an electron donor, thereby mitigating free radical formation. Despite its poor solubility in water, curcumin is stable in acidic environments and undergoes significant metabolism in both the liver and the gut. Intestinal microbiota, particularly at the colon level, further metabolizes curcumin into several derivatives, including dihydrocurcumin and tetrahydrocurcumin, which exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Studies suggest that curcumin can reduce body mass index (BMI) and improve other body composition parameters, especially when used in combination with lifestyle changes, though its bioavailability is low due to its rapid metabolism and the resulting low blood concentration. In obesity, dysfunctional adipose tissue remodeling and chronic inflammation play critical roles in the development of metabolic complications. Curcumin's anti-inflammatory properties are related to the inhibition of the NF-κB pathway, leading to the reduction in inflammatory markers in adipocytes and macrophages. Additionally, curcumin modulates oxidative stress by activating the NRF2 pathway, enhancing cellular antioxidant defenses. Emerging evidence also supports curcumin's potential in improving gut health by modulating microbiota composition, enhancing intestinal barrier function, and reducing systemic inflammation. This interaction with the gut-brain axis highlights the broader implications of curcumin in neuroprotection, as it positively affects cognitive function and mitigates neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. disease. Thus, curcumin holds promise as a multifaceted agent in the management of obesity and associated diseases.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Cerullo, M., Armeli, F., Mengoni, B., Menin, M., Crudeli, M. L., & Businaro, R. (2025). Curcumin Modulation of the Gut-Brain Axis for Neuroinflammation and Metabolic Disorders Prevention and Treatment. Nutrients. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17091430
Vancouver
Cerullo M, Armeli F, Mengoni B, Menin M, Crudeli ML, Businaro R. Curcumin Modulation of the Gut-Brain Axis for Neuroinflammation and Metabolic Disorders Prevention and Treatment. Nutrients. 2025. doi:10.3390/nu17091430. PMID: 40362738.
BibTeX
@article{cerullo2025-40362738,
author = {Cerullo, Miriam and Armeli, Federica and Mengoni, Beatrice and Menin, Martina and Crudeli, Maria Luisa and Businaro, Rita},
title = {{Curcumin Modulation of the Gut-Brain Axis for Neuroinflammation and Metabolic Disorders Prevention and Treatment}},
journal = {Nutrients},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.3390/nu17091430},
pmid = {40362738},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17091430}
}
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Key findings
- Curcumin, a polyphenolic compound derived from Curcuma longa, has gained significant attention for its potential therapeutic benefits, particularly counteracting inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolic disorders.
- Despite its poor solubility in water, curcumin is stable in acidic environments and undergoes significant metabolism in both the liver and the gut.
- Studies suggest that curcumin can reduce body mass index (BMI) and improve other body composition parameters, especially when used in combination with lifestyle changes, though its bioavailability is low due to its rapid metabolism and the resulting low blood concentration.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record, multi-centre collaboration and free to read, so those were left out: it earned 24 of the 56 points we could judge it on, which is 43 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Nutrients) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40362738) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 24 / 56 | Scored on 10 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 24 of the 56 points we could judge it on is 43 out of 100. |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
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