Curcumin, a spice used in Indian cooking, shows potential therapeutic effects in various retinal diseases, including during the COVID era.
2022 Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology Role of Curcumin in Retinal Diseases—A review Chandrasekaran PR, Madanagopalan VG
Review Article Retinitis Pigmentosa Turmeric
The research used PubMed and MEDLINE databases to examine a wide range of studies pertaining to the role of curcumin in various retinal diseases and its use during the COVID era. Specific diseases investigated include diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, retinal ischemia reperfusion injury, and proliferative vitroretinopathy.
In these studies, curcumin's performance was tested in different experimental models, where it demonstrated pleiotropic effects through its action on various cell types like HRPC, HREC and ARPE-19. The research also evaluated the molecule's impact on retinal endothelial cells and its ability to inhibit actions of certain proteins and genes implicated in retinal disease. Moreover, the search also included curcumin's influence in the COVID-19 landscape.
Discussing the results, curcumin proved efficacious in retinal disease management by increasing antioxidant enzymes, reducing inflammatory mediators, and inhibiting growth factors. In the context of diabetic retinopathy specifically, curcumin acted by reducing Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and inhibiting apoptosis-inducing proteins. Furthermore, curcumin downregulated several inflammatory molecules and hindered retinoblastoma cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. In the COVID era, curcumin showcased its potential by inhibiting viral replication and cytokine storm.
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