Curcumin for the treatment of COVID‐19 patients: A meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials. (14th January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shafiee, Arman; Athar, Mohammad Mobin Teymouri; Shahid, Abia; Ghafoor, Muhammad Saqib; Ayyan, Muhammad; Zahid, Afra; Cheema, Huzaifa Ahmad
• Is Part Of: Phytotherapy research. Volume 37:Number 3(2023)
• Page Start: 1167
• Page End: 1175
• Publication Date: 2023-01-14
• Subjects: COVID‐19 -- curcumin -- SARS‐CoV‐2 -- turmeric; Materia medica, Vegetable -- Periodicals; Botany, Medical -- Periodicals; Medicinal plants -- Periodicals; Plant Extracts -- therapeutic use -- Periodicals; Plants, Medicinal -- Periodicals; 581.634
• DOI: 10.1002/ptr.7724
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0951-418X

Abstract

Abstract: Curcumin is a low‐cost and easily accessible therapeutic option for COVID‐19 patients. We aimed to conduct a meta‐analysis to assess the effect of curcumin on clinical outcomes in COVID‐19 patients. Various databases, including PubMed, the Cochrane Library and Embase were searched from inception until October 2022 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating curcumin use in COVID‐19 patients. Results from 13 RCTs were pooled using R software version 4.1.0. Curcumin reduced the risk of all‐cause mortality (RR 0.38; 95% CI: 0.20–0.72; moderate certainty of evidence), and patients with no recovery status (RR 0.54; 95% CI: 0.42–0.70; moderate certainty of evidence) but had no effect on the incidence of mechanical ventilation and hospitalization, and the rate of a positive viral PCR test. The results of subgroup analysis suggested a higher benefit with early administration of curcumin (within 5 days of onset of symptoms) and with the use of combination regimens. Curcumin is likely to be of benefit in mild‐to‐moderate COVID‐19 patients, but large‐scale RCTs are needed to confirm these findings. The limitations of our meta‐analysis include the small sample sizes of the included RCTs and the variable formulations of curcumin used across the studies.