Use of curcumin in diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of Alzheimer's disease

This review summarizes and describes the use of curcumin in diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. For diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, amyloid-beta and highly phosphorylated tau protein are the major biomarkers. Curcumin was developed as an early diagnostic probe based on its natural fluorescence and high binding affinity to amyloid-beta. Because of its multi-target effects, curcumin has protective and preventive effects on many chronic diseases such as cerebrovascular disease, hypertension, and hyper-lipidemia. For prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease, curcumin has been shown to effectively maintain the normal structure and function of cerebral vessels, mitochondria, and synapses, reduce risk factors for a variety of chronic diseases, and decrease the risk of Alzheimer's disease. The effect of curcumin on Alzheimer's disease involves multiple signaling pathways: anti-amyloid and metal iron chelating properties, antioxidation and anti-inflammatory activities. Indeed, there is a scientific basis for the rational application of curcumin in prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.