Abstract
Novel turmeric rhizome extract nanoparticles (TE-NPs) were developed from fractions of dried turmeric (Curcuma longa Linn.) rhizome. Phytochemical studies, by using HPLC and TLC, of the fractions obtained from ethanol extraction and solvent–solvent extraction showed that turmeric rhizome ethanol extract (EV) and chloroform fraction (CF) were composed mainly of three curcuminoids and turmeric oil. Hexane fraction (HE) was composed mainly of turmeric oil while ethyl acetate fraction (EA) was composed mainly of three curcuminoids. The optimal TE-NPs formulation with particle size of 159.6 ± 1.7 nm and curcumin content of 357.48 ± 8.39 µM was successfully developed from 47-run D-optimal mixture–process variables experimental design. Three regression models of z-average, d50, and d90 could be developed with a reasonable accuracy of prediction (predicted r2 values were in the range of 0.9120–0.9992). An in vitro cytotoxicity study using MTT assay demonstrated that the optimal TE-NPs remarkably exhibited the higher cytotoxic effect on human hepatoma cells, HepG2, when compared with free curcumin. This study is the first to report nanoparticles prepared from turmeric rhizome extract and their cytotoxic activity to hepatic cancer cells compared with pure curcumin. These nanoparticles might serve as a potential delivery system for cancer therapy.
Highlights
Turmeric is a dried rhizome of Curcuma longa Linn. of the family Zingiberaceae
The results from a cytotoxicity study using human hepatoma HepG2 cells show that the optimal TENPs had stronger cytotoxic effects than free curcumin
Optimal turmeric rhizome extract nanoparticles (TE-NPs) could be successfully developed by using the mixture–process variables experimental design
Summary
It is mostly cultivated in Southern and Southeast Asia [1]. A number of pharmacological activities, especially anticancer activities, of compounds contained in turmeric were reported [2]. Most of them showed the pharmacological activities of curcumin, the major active compound found in the turmeric rhizome [2,3,4,5]. Anticancer activities of its analog compounds and turmeric oil were reported [6,7,8,9]. Turmeric and curcumin can be considered as safe [10,11]. The low aqueous solubility and poor stability of curcumin led to limitations of its use as a therapeutic agent. Many advanced technologies were proposed to overcome this limitation [12,13,14]
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