Curcumin

Curcumin is the major yellow pigment in turmeric and curry and has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, antidiabetic, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, chemopreventive and antitumor activities. It interferes with multiple cell signaling pathways, including cell cycle (cyclin D1 and cyclin E), apoptosis (activation of caspases and down-regulation of anti-apoptotic gene products), proliferation (HER-2, EGFR and AP-1), survival (PI3K/AKT pathway), invasion (MMP-9 and adhesion molecules), angiogenesis (VEGF), metastasis (CXCR-4), tumorigenesis and development (Shh, Gli), metabolism (PPARgamma, Nrf2), epigenetics (HDACs, HATs, DNA methyltransferase I and microRNAs) and inflammation (NLRP3, TLR4, NF-kappaB, TNF, IL-6, IL-1, COX-2 and 5-LOX).