Curcumin: structure, pharmacokinetics, extraction-purification, and multi-target cardioprotection against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury

Curcumin, a natural polyphenolic compound certified as a food additive by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and listed among China’s nine permitted natural food colorants, has emerged as a research hotspot in myocardial protection in recent years due to its remarkable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This paper systematically reviews recent advances in curcumin’s structure, pharmacokinetics, extraction and purification technologies, as well as nanocarrier-mediated delivery system for myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI), and evaluates its multi-target protective effects against MIRI, and elaborates on the molecular mechanisms by which it alleviates cardiomyocyte injury and dysfunction via regulating signaling pathways related to oxidative stress, inflammation, autophagy, apoptosis, ferroptosis and distant organ injury. It aims to provide theoretical support for developing curcumin as a myocardial protective agent and advancing the prevention and treatment of MIRI.