Effects of nanocurcumin supplementation on metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract

Background

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) encompasses metabolic risk factors like elevated blood glucose, abnormal lipid levels, and hypertension. Nanocurcumin, a nanoscale formulation of curcumin, may offer therapeutic benefits for MetS management. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the impact of nanocurcumin supplementation on key MetS parameters.

Methods

A systematic literature search identified 20 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 1394 participants. Data were pooled using a random-effects model, and standardized mean differences (SMDs) were calculated for key outcomes.

Results

Nanocurcumin supplementation significantly improved waist circumference (WC) (standardized mean difference (SMD): −0.30 cm), fasting blood sugar (FBS) (SMD: −0.34 mg/dL), HbA1c (SMD: −0.33 %), and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) score (SMD: 0.73). Lipid profile parameters, including total cholesterol (SMD: −0.18 mg/dL), LDL-C (SMD: −0.16 mg/dL), and HDL-C (SMD: 0.32 mg/dL), also reduced significantly. Improvement in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (SMD: −0.32 mmHg), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (SMD: 0.44 mmol/L), malondialdehyde (MDA) (SMD: −0.37 mmol/L), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (SMD: −2.30 ng/L), interleukin-6 (IL-6) (SMD: −1.07 ng/L), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (SMD: −0.34 mg/L) were observed.

Conclusion

Nanocurcumin supplementation significantly improves multiple MetS-related parameters, including anthropometric measures, glycemic control, lipid profile, blood pressure, oxidative stress markers, and inflammatory biomarkers. These findings highlight nanocurcumin's potential as an effective adjunctive therapy for managing MetS. However, the variability in study participant ages, treatment durations, and sample sizes suggests the need for further well-designed RCTs to establish optimal usage guidelines.