Curcumin as adjuvant treatment in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD) disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: The aim of this review is to determine the effect of curcumin on the liver ultrasonographic morphology, and the effectiveness of curcumin as adjuvant treatment for NAFLD.

Methods: The Cochrane library and PubMed were searched systematically to identify randomized controlled trials from 2000 to January 2021. The primary outcomes were NAFLD severity, liver steatosis resolution, liver scarring, liver enzymes, also lipid profiles. 16 RCTs with a total of 1028 participants were included in the meta-analysis.

Results: Curcumin improved NAFLD severity (RR: 3.52, 95 % CI 1.27-9.72; P = 0.02) and increased the liver steatosis resolution (RR 3.96, 95 % CI 1.54-10.17; P = 0.004) based on the liver ultrasonographic finding. Curcumin supplementation reduced aspartate aminotransferase (MD - 4.00, 95 % CI - 5.72 to - 2.28; P < 0.001), alanine aminotransferase (MD - 7.02, 95 % CI - 9.83 to - 4.20; P < 0.001), total cholesterol (MD - 11.86, 95 % CI - 19.25 to - 4.46; P = 0.002) and BMI (MD: - 0.41, 95 % CI - 0.75 to - 0.07; P = 0.02).

Conclusion: Curcumin supplementation has a favorable effect on liver ultrasonographic findings, reduced serum liver enzymes, total cholesterol, and BMI in participants with NAFLD. Therefore, promoting curcumin as adjuvant treatment on NAFLD patients might be justified.