CURCUMIN (DIFERULOYLMETHANE) AS A MULTIFUNCTIONAL ANTISEPTIC AGENT IN TOPICAL OINTMENT FORMULATIONS

Diferuloylmethane, commonly known as curcumin, is the principal bioactive diarylheptanoid isolated from the rhizome of Curcuma longa. Beyond its long-recognized culinary and traditional medicinal use, curcumin has attracted sustained pharmaceutical interest as a topical antiseptic and wound-healing agent owing to its combined antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, and pro-regenerative properties. This review synthesizes current evidence on the chemistry, pharmacology, and formulation science underlying the use of curcumin in ointments intended for cuts, burns, wounds, and infected lesions. The molecular basis of its multi-target activity, comparative antimicrobial potency against common wound pathogens, evidence from preclinical and clinical wound and burn studies, and the physicochemical barriers that limit its direct topical use are examined. Particular attention is given to nanotechnology-enabled delivery platforms — Nano emulsions, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, hydrogels, and nanofibers — that have been developed to overcome curcumin's poor aqueous solubility and photodegradation and to enable its incorporation into stable, effective topical ointments. The review concludes by outlining translational gaps and future research directions needed to move curcumin-based antiseptic ointments from bench formulations toward validated clinical products.