An Overview of the Pharmacological Properties of Calebin-A Publisher Pubmed



Shamsnia H^{1, 3} ; Samanian A⁴ ; Kashani AS¹ ; Khayatan D^{1, 3} ; Momtaz S^{3, 5, 6} ; Johnston TP⁷ ; Majeed M⁸ ; Jamialahmadi T⁹ ; Abdolghaffari AH^{1, 3} ; Sahebkar A^{2, 9, 10} Show Affiliations
Source: Current Medicinal Chemistry Published:2025

Abstract

The natural polyphenol, calebin-A, was recently discovered and identified as a novel phytopharmaceutical with anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and antiproliferative properties. Calebin-A occurs naturally in trace quantities in Curcuma longa/C cassia, commonly known as turmeric, from the Zingiberaceae family. Calebin-A is a curcumin analog or 'chemical cousin' of curcumin with a similar chemical structure. Although few research studies have been conducted on the pharmacological and therapeutic properties of calebin-A, it is a very promising molecule with a variety of pharmacological properties. Some studies have suggested that calebin-A is helpful in treating various cancers due to its inhibitory effect on cell growth and anti-inflammatory properties. Other studies have suggested that calebin-A may improve neurocognitive status associated with neurodegeneration caused by Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by inhibiting the aggregation of β-amyloid. Finally, several studies have proposed that calebin-A may potentially be therapeutically beneficial in treating patients with obesity. This novel compound downregulates nuclear factor (NF)-κB-mediated processes involved with cancer, such as tumor cell invasion, proliferation, metastasis, and, most profoundly, inflammation. Moreover, calebin-A influences the activities of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in cancer cells. The present review identifies and discusses the pharmacological and phytochemical properties of calebin-A, as well as its therapeutic benefits and limitations, for future scientists and clinicians interested in exploring calebin-A’s medicinal qualities. © 2025 Bentham Science Publishers.