Impact of curcumin on gut microbiome

Table 5 Mechanism of action of gut microbiome in gastrointestinal disorders

Mechanisms of action	Description	Implications
Direct effects on gut microbiota	Selective pressure on bacterial populations: Curcumin selectively inhibits harmful bacteria while promoting the growth of beneficial microbes	Helps restore a balanced gut microbiome
	Modification of Bacterial Metabolism: Alters metabolic pathways of gut bacteria, affecting their growth and activity	May reduce production of harmful bacterial metabolites
	Influence on bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation: Disrupts bacterial adhesion to gut mucosa and inhibits biofilm formation	Reduces infection risk and persistence of pathogens
	Effects on bacterial virulence factors: Curcumin can suppress the expression of bacterial virulence factors	Lowers pathogenicity of harmful bacterial strains
Host-microbiota interactions	Modulation of immune responses: Modulates gut-associated immune cells, reducing excessive inflammatory responses	Helps in managing inflammatory bowel conditions
	Enhancement of barrier function: Strengthens the intestinal epithelial barrier, preventing translocation of pathogens	Prevents gut permeability ("leaky gut")
	Regulation of mucus production: Promotes mucus secretion in the gut, aiding in the protection of the mucosal lining	Provides an additional layer of defense against pathogens
	Influence on enterocyte function: Enhances the function of enterocytes, the absorptive cells of the intestinal lining	Improves nutrient absorption and gut health
Metabolic effects	Alteration of short-chain fatty acid production: Modulates the production of short-chain fatty acids like butyrate.	Supports gut barrier integrity and reduces inflammation
	Modification of bile acid metabolism: affects the synthesis and transformation of bile acids, impacting digestion and gut health	May alter gut microbial composition and metabolism
	Influence on tryptophan metabolism: Modifies tryptophan metabolism, affecting serotonin production and gut-brain axis signaling	Potentially improves gut-brain communication and mood
	Effects on bacterial enzyme activities: Alters the activities of bacterial enzymes involved in various metabolic processes	Influences gut homeostasis and metabolic health