In vitroDelivery of Curcumin with Cholesterol-Based Cationic Liposomes

Abstract

A new cholesterolbased cationic lipid was synthe sized; liposomes prepared on its basis were eval� uated as drug delivery vehicles for curcumin. Free and liposomeencapsulated curcumin cytotoxicity against HeLa, A549, HepG2, K562 and 1301 cell lines was assessed. Liposomal curcumin with ED50 values ranging from 2.5-10 µM exhibited 2-8 times higher cytotoxicity than free curcumin. The synthetic cholesterol� based cationic lipid also enhanced cellular uptake of curcumin into tested cells. Cationic liposome alone showed low cytotoxicity at high doses with ED50 values of 90-210 µM.