The role of curcumin/curcuminoids during gastric cancer chemotherapy: A systematic review of non-clinical study.

AIMS: Chemotherapy is an effective therapeutic modality which is commonly used for battling various cancers. However, several side effects induced by chemotherapeutic drugs would limit their clinical use. The present systematic review aims to evaluate the role of curcumin/curcuminoids co-administration during gastric cancer chemotherapy.

METHODS: This systematic review was done according to PRISMA guidelines and a full systematic search in the electronic databases up to May 2020 using search terms in the titles and abstracts for the identification of relevant literature. 279 articles were found in electronic databases and 175 articles screened by title and abstract. Finally, 13 articles were included in this systematic review according to our inclusion and exclusion criteria.

KEY FINDINGS: The findings indicated that gastric cancer chemotherapy induces cytotoxicity effects in various ways including a decrease of cell viability, colony formation, metastasis, tumor growth, and weight, as well as elevation of apoptosis pathway, oxidative stress pathway compared to the control group. Co-administration of curcumin/curcuminoids with chemotherapy synergistically increased the effects of anti-cancer chemotherapy compared to the group solo treated with chemotherapeutic agents. Also, in chemoresistance gastric cancer cells, co-administration of curcumin reduced chemoresistance mainly through the reduction of NF-κB activation and elevation of apoptosis.

SIGNIFICANCE: According to the findings, the use of curcumin/curcuminoids during gastric cancer chemotherapy has chemosensitizing effects, and also it can reduce chemoresistance in gastric cancer.