Curcumin and its formulations for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome: current insights and future prospects

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common gynaecological complication with alarmingly high incidence of 6-20% in women of reproductive age and leads to multifaceted symptoms such as menstrual irregularities, hyperandrogenism, polycystic ovaries, and insulin resistance. Several therapeutic methods have been recommended for PCOS including lifestyle modification, insulin sensitizer (metformin), ovulation inducers (letrozole, clomiphene citrate), hormonal pills, and surgical intervention (ovarian drilling and oophorectomy); however, these treatment modalities often cause adverse effects. Currently, phytochemicals and plant extracts have been recommended for PCOS. Among these, few phytochemicals and their formulations, curcumin (CUR) (a bioactive polyphenol from Curcuma longa), has emerged as a promising complementary PCOS therapy due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, insulin-sensitizing, and ovulation inducing properties. However, CUR's clinical application is hindered by poor solubility and bioavailability. In this review, we summarize and discuss various formulations of CUR and combination therapies that have demonstrated potential in treating PCOS in animal models.