Trial reportBMC complementary medicine and therapies2021
Efficacy of a curcumin extract (Curcugen™) on gastrointestinal symptoms and intestinal microbiota in adults with self-reported digestive complaints: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
Trial report in BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
35 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The Gut-Bone Axis and Skeletal Health: Regulatory Mechanisms and Therapeutic Applications of Plant-Derived Bioactive Compounds.Biomolecules · 2026Pooled it
- Potential therapeutic benefits of curcumin in depression or anxiety induced by chronic diseases: a systematic review of mechanistic and clinical evidence.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Pooled it
- A systematic review of the efficacy and safety of turmeric in the treatment of digestive disorders.Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2024Pooled it
- Effect of curcumin on the gut microbiota of patients with ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and healthy participants.Scientific reports · 2026Trial
- Trial
- Effects of Mediterranean Diet, Curcumin, and Resveratrol on Mild-to-Moderate Active Ulcerative Colitis: A Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial.Nutrients · 2024Trial
- Turmeric (Pharmaceutical biology · 2026Review
- Hypocholesterolemic agents and the gut microbiota: a review of interactions and modulatory activity.Pharmacological reports : PR · 2026Review
- Treatment of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) in Gastrointestinal, Hepatic, Endocrine, Neurological, and Postoperative Diseases: A Comprehensive Narrative Review.Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Natural and Biological Products Therapeutic Potential in Restoring Gut Microbiome: Mechanistic Insights and Clinical Implications.Probiotics and antimicrobial proteins · 2026Review
- Associated factors and assessment of clinical symptoms including fatigue, insomnia, and gastrointestinal discomfort of chronic fatigue syndrome: a cross-sectional case-control study.Journal of translational medicine · 2026Article
- Insights into Hepatic, Neuronal, and hERG Channel Safety of Plant-Derived Active Compounds.Journal of xenobiotics · 2025Article
- Curcuma Longa (turmeric): from traditional applications to modern plant medicine research hotspots.Chinese medicine · 2025Review
- Impact of curcumin on gut microbiome.World journal of experimental medicine · 2025Review
- Curcumin supplementation accelerates high-altitude acclimatization, prevents polycythemia and modulates gut microbiota in male Han population: a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
- Role of curcumin in altering gut microbiota for anti-obesity and anti-hyperlipidemic effects.Frontiers in microbiology · 2025Review
- Biocompatible Poly(ε-Caprolactone) Nanocapsules Enhance the Bioavailability, Antibacterial, and Immunomodulatory Activities of Curcumin.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Article
- Relationship between postoperative rehabilitation style, gastrointestinal function, and inflammatory factor levels in children with intussusception.World journal of gastrointestinal surgery · 2024Article
- Curcumin and Gut Microbiota: A Narrative Overview with Focus on Glycemic Control.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- Polyphenols: Natural Food-Grade Biomolecules for the Treatment of Nervous System Diseases from a Multi-Target Perspective.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThere is preliminary evidence to suggest curcumin can alleviate digestive symptoms in adults with self-reported digestive complaints and irritable bowel syndrome. However, in all these trials, curcumin was used as a component of a multi-herbal combination and there were consistent concerns associated with risk of bias in most studies. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of a curcumin extract (Curcugen™) on gastrointestinal symptoms, mood, and overall quality of life in adults presenting with self-reported digestive complaints. Moreover, to determine the potential therapeutic mechanisms of action associated with curcumin, its effects on intestinal microbiota and small intestinal bowel overgrowth (SIBO) were examined.
methodsIn this 8-week, parallel-group, double-blind, randomised controlled trial, 79 adults with self-reported digestive complaints were recruited and randomised to receive either a placebo or 500 mg of the curcumin extract, Curcugen™. Outcome measures included the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS), intestinal microbial profile (16S rRNA), Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale - 21 (DASS-21), Short Form-36 (SF-36), and SIBO breath test.
resultsBased on self-report data collected from 77 participants, curcumin was associated with a significantly greater reduction in the GSRS total score compared to the placebo. There was also a greater reduction in the DASS-21 anxiety score. No other significant between-group changes in self-report data were identified. An examination of changes in the intestinal microbial profile and SIBO test revealed curcumin had no significant effect on these parameters. Curcumin was well-tolerated with no significant adverse events.
conclusionsThe curcumin extract, Curcugen™, administered for 8 weeks at a dose of 500 mg once daily was associated with greater improvements in digestive complaints and anxiety levels in adults with self-reported digestive complaints. Compared to the placebo, there were no significant changes in intestinal microbiota or SIBO; however, further research using larger samples and testing methods that allow more detailed microbial analyses will be important. An investigation into other potential mechanisms associated with curcumin's gastrointestinal-relieving effects will also be important such as examining its influence on the intestinal barrier function, inflammation, neurotransmitter activity, and visceral sensitivity.
trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, Trial ID. ACTRN12619001236189 . Registered 6 September 2019.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.