A popular Indian spice, turmeric (Curcuma longa) has been used for centuries in herbal medicines for the treatment of a variety of disorders such as rheumatism, diabetic ulcers, anorexia, cough and sinusitis. Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is the main active constituent present in turmeric, responsible for its yellow color. It has been shown to possess significant anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anti-mutagenic, anticoagulant and anti-infective effects. This review recapitulates and discusses recently published papers on the key chemotherapeutic potential of curcumin and its analogues. The promising activity revealed by these compounds chains their use and places them ahead as a potential drug candidate for the future studies. The review mainly emphasizes the highlighted studies, which provides the evidence of the ability of curcumin and its analogues to show significant anti-cancer and anti-microbial properties, thus encouraging those involved in the field of dev eloping effective chemotherapeutic agents.