A review on toxicity of turmeric derived Nano-Formulates against bacterial and fungal cells with special emphasis on electrospun nanofibers

Abstract

Derived from the roots of the plant Curcuma longa, curcumin (1, 7-bis (4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1, 6-heptadiene-3, 5-dione) is a natural, low molecular weight, polyphenolic compound. It is a yellow-orange colored polyphenol non-toxic and bioactive agent found in turmeric. It has been in use for centuries as a household medication for several maladies. However, due to its low solubility, curcumin is unable to deliver in a proper manner and to be utilized for its medicinal resources. The present review illustrates the electrospinning of bioactive nanoparticles of curcumin on/within the electrospun nanofibers based on the type of biopolymers used. The encapsulation of bioactive nanoparticle curcumin is applied via the electrospinning process. Electrospinning consists of three major components, a power supply high-voltage, a spinneret, and a grounded collector. This technique has attracted much more attention for producing nanofibers with a diameter ranging from a few nanometers to several micrometers compared to other techniques used like nano-formulation, and emulsion process. Its high specific surface area and porosity enhances the dispersion and bioavailability of curcumin. The morphology of curcumin encapsulated as nano-formulates (nanoparticles, nanocapsules, nanorods, nanofibers) has been characterized using various techniques such as FE-SEM, TEM, X-ray Diffraction, FTIR, TGA/DTA respectively. While it’s antimicrobial activity against different pathogenic microbes has been determined for wound healing, burn infection, and antimicrobial resistance. The major worldwide health problem is bacterial resistance towards multidrug resistance pathogenic species. Hence, there is a constant need to develop new antibacterial/antifungal with novel mechanisms of action to overcome the problem of resistance. Many experimental data have reported the methoxy and hydroxyl groups found in curcumin structure are directly associated with antimicrobial activity/decrease in ergosterol of fungal cell membrane, signifying the electrospun nanofibers showing potential application as antibacterial/antifungal nonwoven mats and preventing fungal colonization on food products.