The Role of Curcumin Administration in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: Mini Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials

Al-Karawi D, Al Mamoori DA, Tayyar Y · Phytotherapy Research

Curcumin reduced depression symptoms (SMD -0.34, 95% CI -0.56 to -0.13, p=0.002) with no heterogeneity between trials (I² = 0%). Effects were larger beyond six weeks (-0.40) and at the higher dose (-0.36), with the short and low-dose subgroups null. The BCM-95 formulation performed non-significantly better than the conventional curcumin-piperine combination.

Population

6 trials, 342 patients with major depressive disorder — four randomized, one crossover, one open-label

Intervention

Curcumin administration

Comparator

Placebo or control

Limitations

Six small trials and 342 patients in total, with a modest pooled effect; one was open-label and rated only moderate quality by the authors' own appraisal. The dose subgroup rests on a single trial — every trial but Bergman used 1 g/day — so "low dose" and "500 mg" are the same one study. Depression, not a joint endpoint, and the formulation comparison is underpowered and indirect.