Curcumin: The epigenetic therapy

Abstract

The process of gene expression is tightly regulated by a series of interconnected epigenetic alterations including DNA methylation, covalent modifications of histones, or altered microRNA. The food components which are taken regularly play a significant role in altering the epigenetic modifications, and associated gene expression may act as important tools in curbing the diseases which involve epigenetic alterations. The polyphenolic compound curcumin (diferuloylmethane), possesses a large number of biological activities owing to which its use has been implicated in various diseases including cancer, respiratory diseases, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative disorders. These activities could be attributed partially to its DNA hypomethylating and histone acetylating property. In conclusion, curcumin is able to restore the epigenetic regulation balance and appears as an attractive preventive and/or therapeutic approach, and hence there is a need to study the epigenetic modifications promoted by its treatment.