Curcumin

Summary

Curcumin (CHEMBL140) is an approved small-molecule anti-inflammatory agent targeting EP300 and TRPV4; indicated across 52 conditions including crohn disease and periodontitis.

At a glance

• Status: Approved (max clinical phase 4)
• Modality: Small molecule
• Targets: 2 (EP300, TRPV4)
• Indications: 52 conditions
• Clinical trials: 205
• Chemistry: 368.4 Da · C21H20O6

Identifiers

Drug identity and classification

Field	Value
ChEMBL ID	CHEMBL140
Name	Curcumin
Type	Small molecule
Max phase	3
FDA approved	yes
PubChem CID	969516
ChEBI	CHEBI:3962
Molecular formula	C21H20O6
Molecular weight	368.4
InChIKey	VFLDPWHFBUODDF-FCXRPNKRSA-N

SMILES: COC1=C(C=CC(=C1)/C=C/C(=O)CC(=O)/C=C/C2=CC(=C(C=C2)O)OC)O

IUPAC name: (1E,6E)-1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)hepta-1,6-diene-3,5-dione

ChEBI definition: A β-diketone that is methane in which two of the hydrogens are substituted by feruloyl groups. A natural dyestuff found in the root of Curcuma longa.

Pharmacological roles (ChEBI): anti-inflammatory agent, antineoplastic agent, hepatoprotective agent, biological pigment, nutraceutical, antifungal agent, lipoxygenase inhibitor, ligand, radical scavenger, contraceptive drug, EC 3.5.1.98 (histone deacetylase) inhibitor, immunomodulator, iron chelator, neuroprotective agent, EC 1.1.1.21 (aldehyde reductase) inhibitor, EC 1.1.1.25 (shikimate dehydrogenase) inhibitor, EC 1.1.1.205 (IMP dehydrogenase) inhibitor, EC 1.6.5.2 [NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (quinone)] inhibitor, EC 1.8.1.9 (thioredoxin reductase) inhibitor, EC 2.7.10.2 (non-specific protein-tyrosine kinase) inhibitor, geroprotector.

Other ChEBI roles (chemical / environmental): metabolite, flavouring agent, dye, food colouring.

Also known as: C.i. 75300, C.i. natural yellow 3, Ci 75300, Ci-75300, Curcumin, Curcumin e100, Diferuloylmethane, E 100, E-100, E100, Haldar, INS NO. 100(I)

Parent form; salt/anhydrous children: CHEMBL1916041

Patent coverage: 44,086 distinct patent families (93,882 SureChEMBL compound mentions), from 2 matched compound structure(s). One matched structure accounts for 92,473 (98%) of the total. Mentions count patents naming the compound (not distinct inventions), so promiscuous / reference molecules inflate the mention figure — families are the dedup metric.

Targets

Targets

Primary targets (GtoPdb curated mechanism): the Cancer dependency column is the DepMap CRISPR fitness signal (% of screened cell lines dependent on the target).

Gene	Target	Action	pAffinity	Cancer dependency	UniProt
EP300	EP300 lysine acetyltransferase	Inhibition	4.6	33.3%	Q09472
TRPV4	TRPV4	Activation	5.18	0.6%	Q9HBA0

Broader ChEMBL bioactivity targets: 141 (assay-derived). Sample: Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, Tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1, 17-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 3, Pyruvate kinase PKM, Multidrug resistance protein CDR1, Microtubule-associated protein tau, Lysine-specific demethylase 4E, Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 2, Nuclear receptor ROR-gamma, Fructose-bisphosphate aldolase.

Bioactivity

ChEMBL activities: 154 potent at pChembl ≥ 5 of 321 total. Top 30 by potency (10 = 0.1 nM, 6 = 1 µM):

Target	pChembl	Type	Value	Unit	Activity ID
APP	9.68	Ki	0.21	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_1773962
DYRK2	8.6	IC50	2.5	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_25062951
GLO1	8.3	Ki	5	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_19260506
DYRK2	8.3	IC50	5	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_25675498
FOS	8.16	IC50	6.9	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_15027210
DYRK2	8	IC50	10	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_26199759
F3	7.88	IC50	13.16	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_18012255
P15840	7.52	IC50	30	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_2489778
P18266	7.18	IC50	66	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_18033959
P15917	7.1	Potency	79.4	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_4663238
CISD1	7	Ki	101	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_16766137
APP	6.97	IC50	107	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_24862085
DYRK1B	6.83	IC50	147.7	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_25065087
F3	6.7	IC50	199.6	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_12601337
F3	6.7	IC50	199.6	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_12633741
PTGES	6.7	IC50	200	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_16486580
PTGES	6.66	IC50	220	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_16456665
SNCA	6.66	IC50	220	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_22754647
PTGES	6.52	IC50	300	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_18412413
DYRK1A	6.52	IC50	300	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_25065052
NPSR1	6.5	Potency	316.2	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_4912784
CA2	6.42	Ki	380	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_3426856
ALOX5	6.3	IC50	500	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_14730603
SNCA	6.3	Kd	500	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_22754667
HDAC3	6.27	Ki	539	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_2998023
PTGES	6.22	IC50	600	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_14730604
ALOX5	6.22	IC50	600	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_14732854
ALOX5	6.22	IC50	600	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_14732856
ALOX5	6.22	IC50	600	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_14732857
APP	6.2	IC50	630	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_16841925

Target pathways

Aggregated over 2 target gene(s): EP300, TRPV4.

Top Reactome pathways

64 total, by targets touching each:

Pathway	Targets	Genes
Regulation of gene expression by Hypoxia-inducible Factor	1	EP300
Polo-like kinase mediated events	1	EP300
Pre-NOTCH Transcription and Translation	1	EP300
PPARA activates gene expression	1	EP300
Formation of the beta-catenin:TCF transactivating complex	1	EP300
Regulation of gene expression in late stage (branching morphogenesis) pancreatic bud precursor cells	1	EP300
NOTCH1 Intracellular Domain Regulates Transcription	1	EP300
SMAD2/SMAD3:SMAD4 heterotrimer regulates transcription	1	EP300
NOTCH2 intracellular domain regulates transcription	1	EP300
Constitutive Signaling by NOTCH1 PEST Domain Mutants	1	EP300
Constitutive Signaling by NOTCH1 HD+PEST Domain Mutants	1	EP300
LRR FLII-interacting protein 1 (LRRFIP1) activates type I IFN production	1	EP300
HATs acetylate histones	1	EP300
TRP channels	1	TRPV4
Attenuation phase	1	EP300
Transcriptional regulation of white adipocyte differentiation	1	EP300
SUMOylation of transcription cofactors	1	EP300
B-WICH complex positively regulates rRNA expression	1	EP300
Activation of anterior HOX genes in hindbrain development during early embryogenesis	1	EP300
CD209 (DC-SIGN) signaling	1	EP300
Metalloprotease DUBs	1	EP300
TP53 Regulates Transcription of Genes Involved in G2 Cell Cycle Arrest	1	EP300
Regulation of TP53 Activity through Acetylation	1	EP300
Regulation of TP53 Activity through Methylation	1	EP300
PI5P Regulates TP53 Acetylation	1	EP300
Activation of the TFAP2 (AP-2) family of transcription factors	1	EP300
RUNX1 regulates genes involved in megakaryocyte differentiation and platelet function	1	EP300
RUNX1 interacts with co-factors whose precise effect on RUNX1 targets is not known	1	EP300
RUNX3 regulates NOTCH signaling	1	EP300
Regulation of RUNX3 expression and activity	1	EP300

Dominant GO biological processes

GO term	Targets
negative regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II	2
response to hypoxia	2
negative regulation of brown fat cell differentiation	2
positive regulation of gene expression	2
somitogenesis	1
thigmotaxis	1
behavioral defense response	1
stimulatory C-type lectin receptor signaling pathway	1
regulation of glycolytic process	1
protein acetylation	1
internal protein amino acid acetylation	1
apoptotic process	1
canonical NF-kappaB signal transduction	1
nervous system development	1
heart development	1

Indications & clinical

Indications

52 indications (0 at ChEMBL trial phase 4). Phase below is the highest clinical-trial phase recorded for this drug against each disease — not the molecule’s overall approval status (that is in the Summary).

Indication	Trial phase	MONDO	EFO
Crohn disease	3	MONDO:0005011	EFO:0000384
periodontitis	3	MONDO:0005076	EFO:0000649
ulcerative colitis	3	MONDO:0005101	EFO:0000729
exocrine pancreatic carcinoma	3	MONDO:0005192	EFO:0002618
nicotine dependence	3	MONDO:0008575	EFO:0003768
chronic kidney disease	3	MONDO:0005300	EFO:0003884
colonic neoplasm	3	MONDO:0005401	EFO:0004288
proteinuria	3	MONDO:0003634	HP:0000093
stomatitis	3	MONDO:0004842	EFO:1001904
Leber hereditary optic neuropathy	3	MONDO:0010788	MONDO:0010788
B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia	2	MONDO:0004948	EFO:0000095
neoplasm	2	MONDO:0005070	EFO:0000616
plasma cell myeloma	2	MONDO:0009693	EFO:0001378
primary cutaneous T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma	2	MONDO:0000607	EFO:0002913
lichen planus, oral	2	MONDO:0043923	EFO:0008517
chronic atrophic gastritis	2	MONDO:0006665	EFO:1000826
oral submucous fibrosis	2	MONDO:0018166	EFO:1001818
cervical adenocarcinoma	2	MONDO:0005153	EFO:0001416
breast neoplasm	2	MONDO:0021100	MONDO:0007254
endometrium neoplasm	2	MONDO:0021251	MONDO:0011962
radiodermatitis	2	MONDO:0043771	MONDO:0043771
rectal neoplasm	2	MONDO:0002165	MONDO:0044937
age-related macular degeneration	2	MONDO:0005150	EFO:0001365
acute lymphoblastic leukemia	2	MONDO:0004967	EFO:0000220
Alzheimer disease	2	MONDO:0004975	MONDO:0004975
asthma	2	MONDO:0004979	MONDO:0004979
type 1 diabetes mellitus	2	MONDO:0005147	MONDO:0005147
multiple sclerosis	2	MONDO:0005301	MONDO:0005301
lupus nephritis	2	MONDO:0005556	EFO:0005761
bipolar disorder	2	MONDO:0004985	MONDO:0004985
systemic lupus erythematosus	2	MONDO:0007915	MONDO:0007915
peripheral neuropathy	2	MONDO:0005244	EFO:0003100
anogenital human papillomavirus infection	2	MONDO:0005647	EFO:0007147
major depressive disorder	2	MONDO:0002009	MONDO:0002009
colorectal neoplasm	2	MONDO:0005335	MONDO:0005575
myelodysplastic syndrome	1	MONDO:0018881	EFO:0000198
non-small cell lung carcinoma	1	MONDO:0005233	EFO:0003060
sclerosing cholangitis	1	MONDO:0018646	EFO:0004268
persian gulf syndrome	1	MONDO:0005907	EFO:0007430
dysplasia of cervix	1	MONDO:0006736	EFO:1000910
mucositis	1	MONDO:0020579	EFO:1001898
hypogonadism	1	MONDO:0002146	MONDO:0002146

10 further indication records had no mapped disease name (EFO/MeSH-only) or were duplicates, and are omitted.

Clinical trials

Total trials: 205.

Phase distribution

Phase	Trials
Not specified	77
PHASE2	46
PHASE1	20
PHASE3	17
PHASE1/PHASE2	13
PHASE4	12
EARLY_PHASE1	12
PHASE2/PHASE3	8

Top trials by phase / activity

NCT	Phase	Status	Title
NCT00779493	PHASE4	COMPLETED	Curcumin (Tumeric) in the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized-Controlled Trial
NCT01052025	PHASE4	UNKNOWN	Curcumin Therapy in Patients With Impaired Glucose Tolerance and Insulin Resistance
NCT01052597	PHASE4	UNKNOWN	Curcumin for Type 2 Diabetic Patients
NCT01750359	PHASE4	COMPLETED	Efficacy and Safety Curcumin in Depression
NCT02298985	PHASE4	COMPLETED	Curcumin Addition to Antipsychotic Treatment in Chronic Schizophrenia Patients
NCT02494141	PHASE4	COMPLETED	Curcumin Therapy to Treat Vascular Dysfunction in Children and Young Adults With ADPKD
NCT02532023	PHASE4	UNKNOWN	The Combined Effects of omega3 Fatty Acids and Curcumin Supplementation on Inflammatory and Endothelial Factors in Migraine Patients
NCT03917784	PHASE4	UNKNOWN	Effect of Oral Supplementation With Curcumin on Insulin Sensitivity in Subjects With Prediabetes
NCT04032132	PHASE4	COMPLETED	Curcumin Paste as an Adjunctive Therapy in Periodontitis
NCT04205929	PHASE4	COMPLETED	Use of Curcumin to Treat Unfavorable Bleeding Patterns in Contraceptive Implant Users
NCT04971382	PHASE4	UNKNOWN	Alveolar Ridge Augmentation With Curcumin Combined With Xenograft
NCT06886035	PHASE4	COMPLETED	Effectiveness of Curcuminoids in Controlling Postoperative Pain Following Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy
NCT02064673	PHASE3	RECRUITING	Adjuvant Curcumin to Assess Recurrence Free Survival in Patients Who Have Had a Radical Prostatectomy
NCT03769766	PHASE3	RECRUITING	Trial of Curcumin to Prevent Progression of Low-risk Prostate Cancer Under Active Surveillance
NCT06758739	PHASE3	NOT_YET_RECRUITING	Comparison of Curcumin and Intralesional Steroids in Oral Submucous Fibrosis
NCT00295035	PHASE3	UNKNOWN	Phase III Trial of Gemcitabine, Curcumin and Celebrex in Patients With Metastatic Colon Cancer
NCT00486460	PHASE3	UNKNOWN	Phase III Trial of Gemcitabine, Curcumin and Celebrex in Patients With Advance or Inoperable Pancreatic Cancer
NCT00528151	PHASE3	COMPLETED	A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial of Curcumin in Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON)
NCT01225094	PHASE2/PHASE3	COMPLETED	Curcumin to Prevent Complications After Elective Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Repair
NCT01246973	PHASE2/PHASE3	COMPLETED	Oral Curcumin for Radiation Dermatitis
NCT01320436	PHASE3	COMPLETED	Curcumin + Aminosalicylic Acid (5ASA) Versus 5ASA Alone in the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Ulcerative Colitis
NCT01831193	PHASE3	COMPLETED	Effect of Oral Supplementation With Curcumin (Turmeric) in Patients With Proteinuric Chronic Kidney Disease
NCT02255370	PHASE3	COMPLETED	Curcumin Associated With Thiopurin in the Prevention of Post-op Recurrence in Crohn Disease
NCT02277223	PHASE3	WITHDRAWN	Curcumin in Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis
NCT02369549	PHASE3	COMPLETED	Micro-Particle Curcumin for the Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease
NCT02529969	PHASE2/PHASE3	UNKNOWN	Effects of Curcumin Supplementation on Lipid Profile and Inflammatory Markers of Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
NCT02908152	PHASE2/PHASE3	COMPLETED	Curcumin Supplement in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Patients
NCT03085680	PHASE2/PHASE3	COMPLETED	Curcumin and Function in Older Adults
NCT03262363	PHASE2/PHASE3	UNKNOWN	Curcumin on NFE2L2 Gene Expression, Antioxidant Capacity and Renal Function According to rs35652124 in Diabetic Nephropathy
NCT04837664	PHASE3	UNKNOWN	Curcumin; Rose Bengal; Denture Stomatitis
NCT04896164	PHASE3	UNKNOWN	Randomized Trial of Curcumin to Reduce Mucositis in Autologous Transplant Setting
NCT05613361	PHASE3	UNKNOWN	The Effect of Curcumin Against Colistin-induced Nephrotoxicity
NCT05627843	PHASE3	UNKNOWN	Effects of Curcumin on Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Pediatric Patients on Regular Hemodialysis: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study
NCT06006663	PHASE2/PHASE3	UNKNOWN	Effect of Hebal and Synthetic Medicamentss on Enterococcus Feacalis
NCT06281353	PHASE2/PHASE3	COMPLETED	The Effect of Oral Nanocurcumin as an Adjuvant Therapy for Anogenital Warts: Evaluation of Clinical Improvement, NFĸB, IFN-γ, and FOXP3+TReg From Lesions Tissue
NCT06381076	PHASE3	COMPLETED	High-protein Oral Supplement With Liposomal Curcumin in Adults Undergoing Hemodialysis.
NCT06605911	PHASE3	COMPLETED	Assessment of the Efficacy of Topical Curcumin in Treatment of Oral Lichen Planus
NCT02782949	PHASE2	ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING	Curcumin in Preventing Gastric Cancer in Patients With Chronic Atrophic Gastritis or Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia
NCT03598309	PHASE2	ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING	Phase II Trial to Modulate Intermediate Endpoint Biomarkers in Former and Current Smokers
NCT04266275	PHASE2	NOT_YET_RECRUITING	Topical Curcumin for HPV Related Cervical Disease

Clinical evidence (CIViC)

No CIViC predictive evidence (expected for non-precision-medicine drugs).

Pharmacology

Pharmacogenomics

No CPIC/DPWG dosing guideline, but PharmGKB curates 1 clinical and 1 variant annotation(s) for this drug (gene-keyed; see PharmGKB).

Related molecules

Related molecules

Molecules sharing ≥1 of this drug’s curated primary targets, merged from two biobtree sources and ranked by shared-target count, then clinical phase: ChEMBL clinical-stage candidates (development phase ≥2) and PubChem drug-class bioactivity (approved / known drugs acting on the target). Deduplicated by drug name; the drug’s own salt forms are excluded. Note: for a drug with few primary targets a shared-target match can reflect off-target / promiscuous binding rather than the same therapeutic mechanism — the phase ordering surfaces bona-fide therapeutics first.

11 molecules share ≥1 primary target. Top 11 by shared-target count:

Molecule	Source	Status	Shared targets
CANNABINOL	ChEMBL	Phase 3	TRPV4
COENZYME_A	ChEMBL	Phase 3	EP300
EPIGALOCATECHIN GALLATE	ChEMBL	Phase 3	EP300
CANNABIDIVARIN	ChEMBL	Phase 2	TRPV4
CANNABIGEROL	ChEMBL	Phase 2	TRPV4
GSK2798745	ChEMBL	Phase 2	TRPV4
MIVEBRESIB	ChEMBL	Phase 2	EP300
MOLIBRESIB	ChEMBL	Phase 2	EP300
STREPTONIGRIN	ChEMBL	Phase 2	EP300
TETRAHYDROCANNABIVARIN	ChEMBL	Phase 2	TRPV4
Berberine Chloride	PubChem	Approved	EP300