To assess curcumin’s therapeutic potential and inform future formulation development for osteoarthritis (OA), emphasizing the need for comparative analysis among formulations.
Key Findings:
Curcumin formulations showed significant improvements in pain and joint function/stiffness, with variations in formulation types.
Efficacy signals were comparable to NSAIDs with a more favorable tolerability profile.
Substantial methodological and clinical heterogeneity was observed among studies.
Interpretation:
Curcumin-based interventions are promising for OA symptom management, but definitive conclusions regarding superiority over NSAIDs or optimal formulations are limited due to heterogeneity and lack of comparative studies, impacting clinical practice.
Limitations:
Pronounced heterogeneity in formulations and study designs.
Only three studies rated as high quality by AMSTAR-2.
Absence of direct comparative analyses among formulations, impacting the reliability of conclusions.
Conclusion:
Future research should prioritize high-quality comparative trials or network meta-analyses to confirm efficacy signals, address bioavailability challenges, and enable formulation-specific inferences.
