Research Progress of Curcumin Nano-preparations in Tumor Therapy

Curcumin is a natural polyphenolic compound, which widely exists in many herbs including curcuma. It is a natural antioxidant possessing excellent pharmacological activities, safety and effectiveness, especially its anti-tumor effect has been widely concerned. Its potential in clinical uses, however, are hindered by poor water solubility, photodegradation, chemical instability as well as low bioavailability. Therefore, it is necessary to develop appropriate drug delivery systems to solve the above issue. In this paper, the recent progress of curcumin nano-preparations in cancer therapy is introduced. The types of anti-tumor nano-preparations of curcumin and their applications in cell and animal experiments are emphasized, which will provide the basis for further research and development.