Summary
Curcumin has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Major Depressive Disorder. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 2 registered trials linking Curcumin to Major Depressive Disorder: 2 have completed. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT01750359). The largest enrolment is 60 participants (NCT01022632). Registration activity spans 2009 to 2010. The literature layer holds 8 publications for this pair: 2 meta-analyses, 1 systematic review and 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2015 to 2025. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Major Depressive Disorder ranks 580 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Relapse in 19-45% within 1 year of antidepressant discontinuation after remission; relapse risk ratio (off-medication vs on) falls from 3.69x at 2 months to 1.34x at 5 years.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | C · Preliminary |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 33.0 (trials 7.0, literature 21.0, tier 5, approved bonus 0.0) |
| Registered trials | 2 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 2 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 8 (5 clinical trial publications, 2 meta-analyses, 1 systematic review) |
| Agent type | Supplement (Nutraceutical) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Preclinical |
| Mechanism / class | Integrative interventions for improving outcomes in depression: a narrative review · Halma M, Plothe C, Marik PE · 2024 |
| Data sources | OSMF Chronic Disease Review |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT01750359 | Efficacy and Safety Curcumin in Depression 2010 | completed | Phase 4 | 40 |
| NCT01022632 | Effect of Curcumin as Nutraceutical in Patients of Depression 2009 | completed | Not applicable | 60 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication Tetrahydrocurcumin for Major Depressive Disorder with Therapeutic Potential and Mechanistic Insights from Clinical and Preclinical StudiesGuo Y, Xie J, Luo H et al. · Molecular neurobiology · 2025 · PMID 41432971
- Meta-analysis Curcumin for depression: a meta-analysisFusar-Poli L, Vozza L, Gabbiadini A et al. · Critical reviews in food science and nutrition · 2020 · PMID 31423805
- Clinical trial publication Add-on Treatment with Curcumin Has Antidepressive Effects in Thai Patients with Major Depression: Results of a Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled StudyKanchanatawan B, Tangwongchai S, Sughondhabhirom A et al. · Neurotoxicity research · 2018 · PMID 29327213
- Clinical trial publication Efficacy of curcumin, and a saffron/curcumin combination for the treatment of major depression: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled studyLopresti AL, Drummond PD · Journal of affective disorders · 2017 · PMID 27723543
- Systematic review Curcumin for neuropsychiatric disorders: a review of in vitro, animal and human studiesLopresti AL · Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) · 2017 · PMID 28135888
- Meta-analysis The Role of Curcumin Administration in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: Mini Meta-Analysis of Clinical TrialsAl-Karawi D, Al Mamoori DA, Tayyar Y · Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2016 · PMID 26610378
- Clinical trial publication Chronic Supplementation of Curcumin Enhances the Efficacy of Antidepressants in Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot StudyYu JJ, Pei LB, Zhang Y et al. · Journal of clinical psychopharmacology · 2015 · PMID 26066335
- Clinical trial publication Curcumin and major depression: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigating the potential of peripheral biomarkers to predict treatment response and antidepressant mechanisms of changeLopresti AL, Maes M, Meddens MJ et al. · European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2015 · PMID 25523883
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: Integrative interventions for improving outcomes in depression: a narrative review · Halma M, Plothe C, Marik PE · 2024.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Curcumin approved for Major Depressive Disorder?
Curcumin has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Major Depressive Disorder. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Curcumin in clinical trials for Major Depressive Disorder?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 2 registered trials linking Curcumin to Major Depressive Disorder: 2 have completed. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT01750359). The largest enrolment is 60 participants (NCT01022632). Registration activity spans 2009 to 2010.
What does the evidence show for Curcumin in Major Depressive Disorder?
Curcumin has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Major Depressive Disorder. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.