Delivery systems are usually designed to encapsulate bioactive compounds for improving its stability， bioavailability， and tackling their application obstacles. Natural food proteins are biocompatible， non-toxic and biodegradable materials， which are excellent building blocks for food-grade delivery systems. In this paper， curcumin， a typical functional bioactive compound which exhibited high hydrophobicity， low stability， and poor bioavailability was taken as a representative， the raw materials， fabrication methods， interaction mechanisms and different types of protein-based curcumin delivery systems were reviewed. Finally， the development of protein-based curcumin delivery systems were also prospected.