Rottlerin and curcumin: a comparative analysis

Rottlerin and curcumin are natural plant polyphenols with a long tradition in folk medicine. Over the past two decades, curcumin has been extensively investigated, while rottlerin has received much less attention, in part, as a consequence of its reputation as a selective PKCδ inhibitor. A comparative analysis of genomic, proteomic, and cell signaling studies revealed that rottlerin and curcumin share a number of targets and have overlapping effects on many biological processes. Both molecules, indeed, modulate the activity and/or expression of several enzymes (PKCδ, heme oxygenase, DNA methyltransferase, cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase) and transcription factors (NF‐κB, STAT), and prevent aggregation of different amyloid precursors (α‐synuclein, amyloid Aβ, prion proteins, lysozyme), thereby exhibiting convergent antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and antiamyloid actions. Like curcumin, rottlerin could be a promising candidate in the fight against a variety of human diseases.