Curcumin and kidney protection; current findings and new concepts

Abstract

According to various epidemiological data, renal failure, either acute or chronic is a serious health and economical problem throughout the world. Curcumin as a member of ginger family (Zingiberaceae), is one of three curcuminoids present in turmeric and the necessity to develop kidney protective modalities sets the eyes in compounds such as curcumin, which has been used in the traditional medicine, specifically because its protective effects against kidney damage. It has been recognized that curcumin is a bifunctional antioxidant; it applies antioxidant activity in a direct and an indirect ways through scavenging reactive oxygen species and provoking an antioxidant response. Curcumin by its bifunctional antioxidant has the capability to react directly with reactive species and to stimulate up-regulation of several antioxidant and cytoprotective proteins. Thus, according to previous studies curcumin due to its properties, was effective to ameliorate the kidney damages and in this review, we will try to explain these abilities of curcumin.