Developing two new types of nanostructured vehicles to improve biological activity and functionality of curcumin

Abstract

Two nanostructured vehicles were developed as potential carriers for curcumin to improve its bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy towards cancer cells: Lallemantia iberica seed gum (LISG)/Ca2+ nanoparticles (NPs) and LISG/chitosan NPs. The formulations with the maximum surface charge and smallest size were chosen for further investigation. The roughness and the ruggedness of LISG/chitosan NPs were higher than LISG/Ca2+ NPs. The formation of complex coacervation was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) study. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the crystalline structure of curcumin was destroyed after entrapment into NPs. Gradual-release of curcumin from both nanostructured vehicles in the simulated gastrointestinal tract was observed. Peppas model appropriately described the release profile of curcumin from the developed carriers in the gastrointestinal tract. The antibacterial activity of the NPs was tested against E. coli and S. aureus, and an excellent antibacterial activity was observed for curcumin-loaded LISG/CS NPs. In vitro cytotoxicity effects of the developed NPs on SW489 (a colon cancer cell line) were as follows: curcumin-loaded LISG/CS NPs˃ curcumin-loaded LISG/Ca2+ NPs˃ free curcumin, showing the targeting efficacy of galactose and N-acetyl glucose amine. All these results exhibited the suitability of the curcumin-loaded LISG/CS NPs for cancer therapy.