The effects of curcumin on cognitive, behavioral and inflammatory parameters in alzheimer's disease: a literature review

Dementia is one of the 10 causes of mortality in the world, which tends to increase with the aging of the population. Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the degeneration of neurons in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex, areas responsible for processing episodic memory and cognitive functions such as learning and attention. Recent epidemiological studies have shown that India, where curcumin is frequently used in the production of meals, has shown a significantly lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease cases when compared to the United States. Research studies and analyzes carried out in an animal model with induction of Alzheimer's disease were used, and the administration of curcumin as a form of prevention and control of signs and symptoms of the disease within the last 10 years. In the electronic search, 94 studies were obtained, of which only 16 were included for analysis because they met the inclusion criteria, 15 clinical trials carried out in an animal model and 1 clinical trial carried out in humans. All clinical trial studies analyzed in this review showed positive effects on cognitive, behavioral and inflammatory parameters of curcumin administration in animal models induced Alzheimer's disease. Curcumin has also been shown to reduce levels of inflammatory markers in brain tissue and even stimulate antiinflammatory and antioxidant proteins by regulating the process of neuroinflammation. Conclusion: Taken together, the studies showed that curcumin upregulates insulin signaling proteins in the brain, reduces hyperinsulinemia, and improves glucose levels in rats with Alzheimer's disease. . Results also showed that curcumin administration increased anti-inflammatory proteins with positive effects on cognition and inflammation.