Curcumin production and bioavailability: A comprehensive review of curcumin extraction, synthesis, biotransformation and delivery systems

[Display omitted] •A Potential alternative for the synthesis of curcumin and its derivatives involves heterologous microbial production.•Biotransformation are alternative solutions for the poor stability and aqueous solubility of curcumin to increase its bioavailability.•Micro- and nano-delivery systems increase the bioavailability of curcumin. Curcuma longa, a perennial herb of the family genus turmeric, was used as a natural pigment in the food industry in the ancient era. The medicinal efficacy and function of curcumin in cancer treatment and disease prevention have been investigated for several decades, prompting new methods for extraction, purification, synthesis, and optimization of curcumin production and applications. The remarkable studies that investigated the extraction and purification of curcumin are available, but most of the techniques are still at the lab level. In this review, comprehensively, we have discussed the currently developed curcumin extraction, synthesis, and transformation techniques. Additionally, the poor solubility and low bioavailability of curcumin in the human stomach have hindered its pharmaceutical applications. However, recent advances in preparing new curcumin formulations using nanotechnology delivery systems have brought new strategies to deliver and maximize curcumin utilization by the human body efficiently. Moreover, we have dissected the advantages and limitations of each approach and discussed the futuristic prospects to develop efficient and commercially applicable approaches to utilize curcumin and its derivatives.