La curcumina y sus derivados como posibles candidatos antivirales contra la viruela del mono (mpox): una revisión de estudios computacionales

Introduction: Monkeypox (mpox) is an infectious disease caused by the mpox virus that is of global health concern because the outbreak, as of May 2023, has affected more than 80,000 people in hundreds of countries. Currently, there is no specific treatment, including antivirals, for mpox patients. Exploration of active compounds for mpox continues, one of which is curcumin and its derivatives. Curcumin is a polyphenol compound predominantly found in turmeric which has been documented to have antiviral effects. Therefore, this study aims to explore studies investigating the potential of curcumin and its derivatives as antiviral candidates in targeting mpox. Method: Literature published from inception to 2024 in ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar was searched. Keywords used in this search included curcuma, curcumin, tetrahydrocurcumin, demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, turmeric, monkeypox, and mpox. Results: The literature search results found five computational studies involving the compound curcumin and its derivatives, including tetrahydroxycurcumin and demethoxycurcumin. All studies showed that curcumin and its derivatives have better binding affinity with mpox proteins compared to control of several antivirals. Curcumin and its derivatives have strong potential in inhibiting mpox virus replication and modulating the immune system. Conclusions: This review concludes that curcumin and its derivatives have potential as antiviral candidates for mpox. However, related studies remain limited and confined to computational studies. Further preclinical experimental and clinical studies are needed to confirm their effectiveness and mechanisms of action.