Curcumin: A boon as antidiabetic

Abstract

Diabetes is a chronic illness that develops either when the pancreas does not create enough insulin or when the
body is unable to utilize the insulin that is produced. Diabetes is the most spreaded disease in India, in which type II
diabetes mellitus is most common type (90–95%). Natural products have gained a lot of attention as a means
of managing the global epidemic that is diabetes and its complications. One of the most significant medicinal
herbs is turmeric (Curcuma longa), which belongs to the Zingiberaceae family. Since ancient times, ayurveda
and traditional Chinese medicine have used the spice turmeric, which is made from the root of the plant C. longa,
to cure diabetes. Turmeric contains the polyphenol curcumin, and curcuminoids have been shown to have antiinflammatory,
anti-oxidant, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, immunomodulatory, and anti-diabetic activities