Antiviral potential of curcumin

The use of synthetic drugs has increased over the recent years, but plant-based drugs are more suitable in terms of least side effects. Since ancient times mankind has been dependent on plants for the treatment of various ailments, among them widely used is curcumin, the principal polyphenol extracted from turmeric. Their medicinal and useful properties are mentioned in Indian Veda's and Chinese medicine. Curcumin has been studied extensively for its pleiotropic activity, including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-tumor activity. Accumulated evidence indicated curcumin plays an inhibitory role against infection of numerous viruses. These mechanisms involve either a direct interference of viral replication machinery or suppression of cellular signaling pathways essential for viral replication, such as PI3K/Akt, NF-kappa B. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge with a focus on the anti-viral effect of curcumin, and their possible molecular mechanisms.