Published online Aug 15, 2023. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v15.i8.1342
Peer-review started: May 11, 2023
First decision: May 31, 2023
Revised: June 11, 2023
Accepted: July 11, 2023
Article in press: July 11, 2023
Published online: August 15, 2023
Processing time: 91 Days and 13.2 Hours
Curcumin is a natural compound with a diketone structure, which can control the growth, metastasis, recurrence, neovascularization, invasion, and drug resistance of gastrointestinal tumors by inhibiting nuclear factor κB, overexpression of tumor cells, vascular endothelial growth factor, etc. However, due to the low bioavailability of curcumin formulation, it did not fully exert its pharmacological effects, and its application and development in the treatment of various malignant tumors are still limited. This review summarizes the research on drug delivery systems of curcumin combating digestive tract tumors in order to further reduce the toxic side effects of curcumin-containing drugs and fully exert their pharmacological activities, and improve their bioavailability and clinical value.
Core Tip: Curcumin can control the growth, metastasis, recurrence, neovascularization, invasion, and drug resistance of gastrointestinal tumors by inhibiting nuclear factor κB, overexpression of tumor cells, and vascular endothelial growth factor. It is important to clarify the application value of curcumin by different drug delivery systems to optimize the treatment of gastrointestinal tumors.