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Antioxidants
Special Issues
Regulatory Effects of Curcumin, 2nd Edition
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Regulatory Effects of Curcumin, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Antioxidants (ISSN 2076-3921).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2025) | Viewed by 46867

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jean-Marc Zingg

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Guest Editor
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
Interests: vitamin E; curcumin; signal transduction; gene expression; senescence
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Kiyotaka Nakagawa

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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Food Function Analysis, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
Interests: food function; antioxidant; curcumin; lipid oxidation; oxidative stress
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Taiki Miyazawa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
New Industry Creation Hatchery Center (NICHe), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
Interests: curcumin; nanoparticles; redox regulation; surfactant; soft matter
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The first edition of the Special Issue "Regulatory Effects of Curcumin" has been assembled and has shown the ability of curcumin to affect multiple cellular pathways relevant for the prevention of disease in several organisms. At the molecular level, these effects can be explained by antioxidant, prooxidant, and non-antioxidant actions of curcumin and its metabolites, leading to changes in signaling and gene expression. At the cellular level, curcumin affects inflammation, lipid homeostasis, senescence, mitochondrial β-oxidation, the permeability of intestinal epithelial cell layers, and bacterial growth and biofilm formation, amongst other events. At the organism level, these regulatory effects are more difficult to achieve, and a myriad of nano-formulations are being developed with the increased solubility, stability, and bioavailability of curcumin. However, it turns out that nano-formulations do not equally facilitate the action of curcumin as they depend on the route of uptake, the chemical composition, and physical characteristics such as size and charge, and each application may require specific design and optimization.

In this second edition of the journal Antioxidants, we anticipate an expansion on these aforementioned topics and expect more studies assessing how diseases can be prevented by enhancing the bioavailability and bioactivity of curcumin and its metabolites.

Dr. Jean-Marc Zingg
Dr. Kiyotaka Nakagawa
Dr. Taiki Miyazawa
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antioxidants is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • curcumin
  • antioxidant
  • prooxidant
  • bioavailability
  • bioactivity

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 5356 KB  
Article
Measuring Communication in Microbial Biofilms in Response to Antibiotics, Phytochemicals and Stressors
by Jean-Marc Zingg, Pratibha Joshi, Michael Moraskie, Mengrui Li, Sherwin Reyes, Md Harun Or Roshid, Sapna Deo and Sylvia Daunert
Antioxidants 2026, 15(3), 361; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox15030361 - 12 Mar 2026
Viewed by 543
Abstract
A high-throughput assay system is developed for measuring communication in microbial biofilms in a 96-well microtiter plate format. In this assay, bioluminescent microbial whole cell biosensor systems (MWCBs) for quorum-sensing molecules (QSMs) are embedded into biofilms, and their response to chemical cues relevant [...] Read more.
A high-throughput assay system is developed for measuring communication in microbial biofilms in a 96-well microtiter plate format. In this assay, bioluminescent microbial whole cell biosensor systems (MWCBs) for quorum-sensing molecules (QSMs) are embedded into biofilms, and their response to chemical cues relevant for bacterial communication is assessed. For measuring the response to stress, a sigma factor 54 (σ54, RpoN)-dependent MWCB was developed. Biofilms generated in this platform were exposed to gradients of communication signals (QSMs such as N-acetyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs), 3,5- dimethylpyrazin-2-ol (DPO), or phytochemicals that can act as natural quorum-sensing inhibitors (QSIs) such as curcumin or 3,3′-diindolylmethane (DIM)), and the response pattern was monitored. Further, the regulatory role of stressors such as oxidants (H2O2) or antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole) on the communication response is assessed. QSMs induced the MWCBs at 1 h and 4 h in biofilms, but high concentrations inhibited them at 24 h. Curcumin and DIM at higher concentrations lead to inhibition of quorum sensing in biofilms after 4 h and 24 h, but this is not followed by biofilm disintegration. H2O2 above 0.002% efficiently inhibited the MWCB activities and led to biofilm disintegration. At lower concentrations of H2O2, we observed induction of MWCBs. The antibiotics inhibited the MWCB activity at concentrations above their minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), but this did not necessarily lead to disintegration of the biofilm. Like low concentrations of H2O2, the antibiotics activated the MWCBs at concentrations close to their MIC, possibly as a result of H2O2 generated during their bactericidal action. Interestingly, the induction of communication in response to antibiotics can be quenched by iron chelators, suggesting involvement of H2O2 and free radicals generated by the Fenton reaction. We hypothesize that the observed response to these stressors reflects increased communication in the biofilm, possibly enhancing tolerance and increasing survival. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regulatory Effects of Curcumin, 2nd Edition)
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26 pages, 12855 KB  
Article
Curcumin Synergistically Sensitizes Multidrug-Resistant Lung Cancer to Doxorubicin Through Ferroptosis-Associated Oxidative Stress
by Wing-Hin Lee, Ching-Yee Loo, Poh Yen Khor, Charles Gnanaraj, Cai Ping Koh, Chean Ring Leong, Kamal Dua, Stewart Yeung and Kit-Leong Cheong
Antioxidants 2026, 15(3), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox15030288 - 26 Feb 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 855
Abstract
Excessive oxidative stress can cause irreversible cytotoxic damage to both healthy and cancer cells through the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediated lipid peroxidation. Ferroptosis has recently been shown to promote lipid peroxidation due to the over-accumulation of iron. Although cancer cells [...] Read more.
Excessive oxidative stress can cause irreversible cytotoxic damage to both healthy and cancer cells through the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediated lipid peroxidation. Ferroptosis has recently been shown to promote lipid peroxidation due to the over-accumulation of iron. Although cancer cells possess elevated antioxidant capacity to neutralize chemotherapy-induced oxidative stress, the co-delivery of polyphenol compounds such as curcumin (CUR) can overwhelm these defenses by elevating intracellular ROS levels to a toxic threshold, thereby increasing anticancer efficacy. In this study, we evaluated the potential of CUR to chemosensitize doxorubicin (DOX) towards the DOX-resistant lung cell line (H69AR). Our results demonstrated that the combination of DOX and CUR resulted in a concentration-dependent behavior, where low-dose concentrations exhibited antagonistic effects, while high-dose IC50-equivalent concentrations shifted towards synergism. The combination induced significantly greater mitochondrial dysfunction, ATP depletion, cytochrome C release, and caspase-3 activation. This also resulted in excessive ROS generation, intracellular iron overload, and lipid peroxidation, accompanied by a reduction in antioxidant enzymatic activities. Pretreatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (ROS inhibitor) and ferrostatin-1 (ferroptosis inhibitor) further supported the involvement of oxidative stress and ferroptosis in modulating apoptosis and DNA fragmentation. Molecular docking analyses supported the binding of CUR and DOX to key ferroptosis regulators. This study shows the potential of CUR to sensitize DOX-resistant cancer cells through ferroptosis-linked-oxidative stress targeting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regulatory Effects of Curcumin, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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30 pages, 1477 KB  
Review
Potential of Curcumin and Its Analogs in Glioblastoma Therapy
by Agnieszka Nowacka, Ewa Ziółkowska, Wojciech Smuczyński, Dominika Bożiłow and Maciej Śniegocki
Antioxidants 2025, 14(3), 351; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14030351 - 18 Mar 2025
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 6668
Abstract
Curcumin, a polyphenol found in turmeric, demonstrates multifaceted anti-cancer activity against glioblastoma. Its therapeutic potential stems from its ability to modulate various molecular pathways implicated in glioblastoma development and progression, enhance the effectiveness of radiation therapy, and induce cancer cell death through diverse [...] Read more.
Curcumin, a polyphenol found in turmeric, demonstrates multifaceted anti-cancer activity against glioblastoma. Its therapeutic potential stems from its ability to modulate various molecular pathways implicated in glioblastoma development and progression, enhance the effectiveness of radiation therapy, and induce cancer cell death through diverse mechanisms, including apoptosis, autophagy, and cell cycle arrest. These combined actions make curcumin a promising candidate for glioblastoma treatment, warranting further investigation into its clinical application. In this review, we summarize the latest research on curcumin and its analogs’ potential in glioblastoma therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regulatory Effects of Curcumin, 2nd Edition)
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34 pages, 3450 KB  
Review
A Review of Recent Curcumin Analogues and Their Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Anticancer Activities
by Kirandeep Kaur, Ahmad K. Al-Khazaleh, Deep Jyoti Bhuyan, Feng Li and Chun Guang Li
Antioxidants 2024, 13(9), 1092; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13091092 - 6 Sep 2024
Cited by 87 | Viewed by 15855
Abstract
Curcumin, as the main active component of turmeric (Curcuma longa), has been demonstrated with various bioactivities. However, its potential therapeutic applications are hindered by challenges such as poor solubility and bioavailability, rapid metabolism, and pan-assay interference properties. Recent advancements have aimed [...] Read more.
Curcumin, as the main active component of turmeric (Curcuma longa), has been demonstrated with various bioactivities. However, its potential therapeutic applications are hindered by challenges such as poor solubility and bioavailability, rapid metabolism, and pan-assay interference properties. Recent advancements have aimed to overcome these limitations by developing novel curcumin analogues and modifications. This brief review critically assesses recent studies on synthesising different curcumin analogues, including metal complexes, nano particulates, and other curcumin derivatives, focused on the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects of curcumin and its modified analogues. Exploring innovative curcumin derivatives offers promising strategies to address the challenges associated with its bioavailability and efficacy and valuable insights for future research directions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regulatory Effects of Curcumin, 2nd Edition)
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Other

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21 pages, 6980 KB  
Systematic Review
The Effectiveness of Curcumin in Treating Oral Mucositis Related to Radiation and Chemotherapy: A Systematic Review
by Gianna Dipalma, Angelo Michele Inchingolo, Giulia Latini, Laura Ferrante, Paola Nardelli, Giuseppina Malcangi, Irma Trilli, Francesco Inchingolo, Andrea Palermo and Alessio Danilo Inchingolo
Antioxidants 2024, 13(10), 1160; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13101160 - 25 Sep 2024
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 9624
Abstract
Chemotherapy (CT) and radiation therapy (RT), while effective against cancer, often cause severe side effects, such as oral mucositis and other oral diseases. Oral mucositis, characterized by inflammation and ulceration of the oral mucosa, is one of the most painful side effects that [...] Read more.
Chemotherapy (CT) and radiation therapy (RT), while effective against cancer, often cause severe side effects, such as oral mucositis and other oral diseases. Oral mucositis, characterized by inflammation and ulceration of the oral mucosa, is one of the most painful side effects that can reduce quality of life and limit cancer treatment. Curcumin, a polyphenol from Curcuma longa, has garnered attention for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-carcinogenic properties, which protect the oral mucosa by reducing oxidative stress and modulating inflammation. This study reviews the therapeutic potential of curcumin in preventing and managing oral mucositis caused by CT and RT. Clinical trials show curcumin’s effectiveness in reducing the incidence and severity of oral mucositis. Although curcumin supplementation appears to be a promising and cost-effective approach for mitigating oral complications in cancer patients, further clinical trials are needed to confirm its efficacy and optimize dosing strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regulatory Effects of Curcumin, 2nd Edition)
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22 pages, 2238 KB  
Systematic Review
The Role of Curcumin in Oral Health and Diseases: A Systematic Review
by Francesco Inchingolo, Alessio Danilo Inchingolo, Giulia Latini, Irma Trilli, Laura Ferrante, Paola Nardelli, Giuseppina Malcangi, Angelo Michele Inchingolo, Antonio Mancini, Andrea Palermo and Gianna Dipalma
Antioxidants 2024, 13(6), 660; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13060660 - 28 May 2024
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 11888
Abstract
Curcumin (Curcumin) belongs to the polyphenol family. It is extracted by drying the root of a plant of Asian origin, belonging to the Zingiberaceae family. The best-known species is Curcumincuma Longa. Curcumin has been recognized as having great therapeutic powers since ancient [...] Read more.
Curcumin (Curcumin) belongs to the polyphenol family. It is extracted by drying the root of a plant of Asian origin, belonging to the Zingiberaceae family. The best-known species is Curcumincuma Longa. Curcumin has been recognized as having great therapeutic powers since ancient times. Studies on curcumin have since confirmed its powerful antioxidant properties, preventing both the formation of free radicals and their neutralization, having anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, immunological, and neuroprotective properties, as well as being a regulator of the intestinal microbiota with beneficial effects on the clinical manifestations of metabolic syndrome. Our study aimed to highlight how all these therapeutic aspects could benefit oral health, both preventing and improving the course of pathological processes. The effect of mouthwashes, and curcumin-based gels on the regulation of bacterial plaque and in the control of gingivitis, was largely comparable to that of using 0.20% chlorhexidine, with fewer side effects. Being a highly hydrophobic substance, it has a high permeability to cross the cell membrane. Bioavailability increases when combined with liposoluble substances (e.g., olive oil) and piperine, which improves absorption. Curcumin also has a negligible degree of toxicity, making it an excellent alternative to the use of gold standard products for oral disinfection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regulatory Effects of Curcumin, 2nd Edition)
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