Design and Fabrication of pH-Sensitive Curcumin Coated Gold Nanorods as Anti-Angiogenic Targeting Nanostructures

Abstract

Curcumin's limited bioavailability, caused by its hydrophobic nature, is a significant stumbling block to its application. This paper describes the development of a pH-responsive targetable carrier that overcomes the challenges associated with using curcumin. The use of gold nanorods in the creation of curcumin nanocarriers aids the combination of plasmonic phototherapy with biotherapy. This study used the pH-sensitive release and receptor targeting nanocarriers poly-L-histidine and ATWLPPR. The carrier's components are confirmed through synthesis and characterization. At a concentration of 0.66 g/mL), the functionalized gold nanorod nanocarrier had a 32 - 43 nm size range. The gold nanorod level is increased to 1.33 g/mL by crosslinking them with amine-functionalized PEG. Curcumin was released in a pH-dependent manner by the nanocarrier. Furthermore, in vitro tests to corroborate the efficiency of this therapeutic model show that when gold nanorods are routed through the peptide, the intake of gold nanorods is doubled.