Abstract: Curcumin has various pharmaceutical functions such as antioxidant, anti-tumor, blood lipid-reducing, and Alzheimer’s disease-preventing effects. It can also be utilized as a natural colorant, a food preservative and an antioxidant in various foods and beverages. However, this compound’s poor water solubility, instability, fast metabolic rate, and low bioavailability limit its applications in the food field. The above problems can be solved by using natural biomolecules as wall materials to encapsulate curcumin in delivery systems. This article describes the structural characteristics and properties of curcumin, as well as the main factors and principles that limit its application. Meanwhile, we summarize the existing delivery systems used for improving the bioavailability of curcumin. Finally, some problems existing in this field of research and future research directions are proposed.

Key words: curcumin; delivery system; stability; bioavailability