Turmeric and Curcumin for Arthritis: Evidence for Their Therapeutic Use

Curcuma longa L. frequently known as the Turmeric is a flowering plant belonging to the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). The rhizomes that grow below the ground are popularly used in cooking as a coloring and flavoring agent. Also, for ages, turmeric has been known for its medicinal properties, such as treatment of wounds, inflammatory conditions, arthritis, blood, gastric and hepatic disorders. The ethnopharmacology-based approach has shown that turmeric has a wide variety of bioactive polyphenols. Among them, curcumin, a yellow pigment predominantly found in the rhizome, has been extensively studied. Many preclinical and clinical studies have found that turmeric and its bioactive constituents possess multiple benefits in treating inflammatory conditions of the joints and arthritis. In this chapter, we compile the validated observations and discuss their mode of action that confers their beneficial effects.