Development of Chitosan and Alginate Nanocapsules to Increase the Solubility, Permeability and Stability of Curcumin

Abstract

Purpose Curcumin (CUR), a natural polyphenolic compound, has several pharmacological uses, primarily regarding its anti-inflammatory, chemotherapeutic, and antioxidant properties. However, to date, a significant drawback of curcumin is its poor bioavailability due to its low solubility and permeability. Therefore, the association of curcumin in polymeric nanocapsules may be an excellent strategy to increase its bioavailability. Methods Two nanocapsule systems were developed with an oily core of vitamin E surrounded by a biodegradable polymeric shell of either chitosan (NC-CS) or alginate (NC-ALG) capable of improving the encapsulation efficiency, stability, and perme-ability of CUR. NC-CS and NC-ALG showed particle sizes of approximately 116.7 ± 3.2 and 178 ± 7.9 nm, dispersities of 0.107 and 0.149, and zeta potentials of 24.4 ± 2.1 and − 49.0 ± 2.3 mV, respectively. Results The encapsulation efficiency was approximately 90% in both cases, and they were demonstrated to be stable under storage conditions for 3 months. Cytotoxicity studies performed in Caco-2 cells using the method of trypan blue dye revealed that even at a high concentration of chitosan and alginate (157.9 μg/cm 2 or 600 mg/mL), both of the nanocapsules were not toxic, exhibiting cell viability > 80%. The permeability was evaluated using Caco-2 cells as an in vitro model of the epithelial barrier. The obtained results show that the permeability of NC-CS and NC-ALG encapsulated CUR was considerably higher compared to that of an aqueous suspension. Conclusions The obtained results suggest that nanocapsules could improve the solubility, permeability, and stability of curcumin.