A new direction of curcumin application

2022/04/08

1. Daily chemical direction

Curcumin is gaining popularity as a functional ingredient in the personal care and cosmetic industries due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and other properties. It is increasingly used in various skincare products such as bites, skin management and swelling. Driven by this, curcumin sales are expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.3% during the forecast period 2021-2031.

In addition, the increasing consumer preference for clean-label cosmetics and skincare products encourages industry players to use natural and botanical ingredients such as curcumin, which drives sales in the cosmetics segment.

2. The direction of sports nutrition

A growing body of research confirms the potential of curcumin in sports performance and post-exercise recovery, and a category closely related to sports nutrition is joint health. The raw materials in the everyday health market are relatively traditional, such as glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, dimethyl sulfone, etc. The new raw materials represented by curcumin are constantly rewriting the joint health market's latest market and application patterns.

Through continuous in-depth research on turmeric, Zhongda Hengyuan independently developed Purcumin curcumin, and its absorption rate in the human body has reached 18.46 times that of ordinary curcumin. CUHK is committed to the basic research of Purcumin, and has carried out in-depth research and development on curcumin for inflammation and anti-oxidation. At the same time, further research has found that its application with glucosamine in bone health has more potential, and more efforts will be devoted to the future. Analysis and development of products in bone health and sports nutrition, etc., and enter the process of nutritional intervention experiments.

3. Stress sleep orientation

One of the more subdivided areas of curcumin is its effects on stress/anxiety and sleep, which are primarily related to serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that stabilizes mood, well-being and helps with sleep, eating, and digestion. Effects of curcumin (1 g/day) or placebo on the frequency of anxiety and depressive symptoms in 30 obese human subjects in a 30-day double-blind crossover trial. Anxiety and depression severity were assessed at baseline and trial weeks 4, 6, and 10 using the Baker Anxiety Scale and the Baker Depression Scale, both scientifically validated questionnaires. The results showed that anxiety scores decreased in the curcumin group (P=0.03).

Although in 2021, the global pandemic led consumers to pay more attention to immune ingredients such as echinacea, microbe D, and elderberry, turmeric and curcumin remain among the top-selling botanicals in the U.S. mass market and natural health food channels. The health properties of curcumin will continue to gain traction thanks to the health benefits that are continually being proven by scientific research.

At the same time, with the EU's regulatory approval of curcumin derivatives this time, it is believed that the curcumin market will usher in a new round of flashpoints.