Curcuminoids: Composition, extraction, health benefits, delivery systems, and relation to COVID-19 treatment

Curcuminoids, resevetrol, and quericitin are naturally occurring compounds in various foods that contain antiviral functionalities. Among them, curcuminoids are the lipophilic phenolic compounds extracted from rhizomes of Curcuma longa. L, a perennial plant from the Zingiberaceae family. Industrial applications and popularization of curcuminoids are still developing slowly due to the unacceptable bitter taste and poor bioavailability of these components. Appropriate extraction conditions play a central role to obtain extracts and preserve the biological activity of curcuminoids. Green extraction technologies can be of great value to extract these bioactive compounds. Curcuminoids are biologically effective in terms of molecular targets and physiological effects against some of the main global diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and arthritis. Being nutraceutical, curcuminoids and its food products could be a new challenge to combat the COVID-19 like viral infections. This review summarized the latest data related to chemical composition, production, extraction methods, potential health benefits, and relation of curcuminoids to COVID-19 treatment.