Abstract: Curcumin is a natural spice and coloring agent which has been widely used in the food processing industry. Recent studies in vitro have demonstrated that curcumin also has potent antioxidant activity, which is closely associated with  intracellular glutathione levels. This article reviews the antioxidant activity of curcumin and its association with intracellular glutathione levels. We focus on the induction of rate-limiting enzymes involved in glutathione metabolic pathways by curcumin.  Meanwhile, the inductive effect of curcumin on glutathione metabolic enzymes and its antioxidant mechanism are analyzed.

Key words: curcumin, antioxidant, glutathione, enzyme