Water Solubility Of Curcumin Research Articles

Encapsulation of curcumin in ZEIN-HTCC complexes: Physicochemical characterization, in vitro sustained release behavior and encapsulation mechanism

In order to improve the water solubility and stability of curcumin (CUR) and achieve its sustained release, the ZEIN–N-(2-hydroxy) propyl-3-trimethylammonium chitosan chloride (HTCC) complexes were designed to encapsulate CUR using an antisolvent precipitation (ASP) method. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) and loading capacity (LC) of curcumin in ZEIN-HTCC complexes were 92.2% and 0.6%, respectively. After encapsulation, the resistance of curcumin to thermal, natural light and UV irradiation, as well as the antioxidative activity were improved significantly (P < 0.05). ZEIN-HTCC-CUR complexes exhibited good redispersibility and enhanced the water solubility of curcumin. In vitro simulated digestion experiments clarified that the ZEIN-HTCC complexes can control the sustained release behavior of curcumin, and the release kinetics can be fitted by the Higuchi model. Results taken from fluorescence spectra and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated that hydrophobic interaction, hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions were the main driving forces to form the ZEIN-HTCC-CUR complexes. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results revealed that the encapsulated curcumin was in an amorphous state. The information provided by this study should be of interest to food industry to fabricate robust nanoscale delivery systems with ZEIN-HTCC complexes for CUR and other hydrophobic bioactive compounds.

Poloxamer188-based nanoparticles improve the anti-oxidation and anti-degradation of curcumin

Curcumin (CUR) is a food additive approved by World Health Organization. But the shortcomings, such as poor water solubility, easy oxidation and degradation, limit its application. In this study, the CUR-loaded poloxamer188-based nanoparticles (CUR/PTT NPs) were fabricated to improve the stability and water solubility of CUR. Studies found the spherical CUR/PTT NPs had an average size of 98.71 ± 0.64 nm. Stability experiments displayed CUR/PTT NPs were extremely stable in different conditions. XRD analysis indicated the changes of crystal structures of CUR might be the main cause of the improved water solubility. Reducing power and anti-degradation tests suggested CUR/PTT NPs could improve the anti-oxidation and anti-degradation of CUR. Additionally, the results of body weight gains, hematological examination, organ coefficients, hematoxylin and eosin staining demonstrated CUR/PTT NPs bearing the excellent in vivo bio-security. Therefore, this study may provide a new idea for the combination of food industry and nanoparticles.

Chemometric approaches to evaluate the substitution of synthetic food dyes by natural compounds: The case of nanoencapsulated curcumin, spirulina, and hibiscus extracts

Finding natural food coloring options from plant-based sources to substitute artificial dyes is a challenging task because natural dyes often present low water-solubility, not very vibrant hues, and instability due to interactions with food ingredients. Chemometric approaches can be used to evaluate color differences and patterns resulting from natural and synthetic dyes when applied to food systems. Here, the Mixture Design and the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were applied to evaluate the substitution of the following artificial food dyes: yolk yellow, apricot yellow, strawberry red, and tartrazine by natural dyes (water-soluble curcumin, yellow shade; Hibiscus sabdariffa extract, red shade; Spirulina platensis extract, blue/green shade), in three food simulated systems (phosphate buffer, pH 6.9; yogurt, pH 4.0 and citrate buffer, pH 3.0). The color parameters L*, a*, b*, C* and °h were determined and color difference (ΔE*) with artificial dyes resulted in 11 empirical models. PCA yielded a clear map for the identification of the closely matches natural/artificial dyes for the food simulated systems in three subregions. Furthermore, the antioxidant capacity of the natural dyes was determined by OxHLIA and TBARS. It was possible to make an assessment guide that may be useful for other food systems and dyes.

Development of Curcumin-Loaded Polymeric Mixed Micelle for Skin Moisturizing Antioxidant Formulation

Abstract The aim of this study was to fabricate curcumin-loaded polymeric mixed micelle which was a new nanocarrier of therpeutic agent for skin uses. Curcumin was extracted from dried turmeric rhizomes using ethanol and recrystallized. The purity of curcumin was 79±3.6 %w/w. Six curcumin-loaded polymeric micelles (PM1-PM6) were prepared by simple dissolution method using poloxamer 407 (5% and 10%) as a main core structure. PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil (PEG-40HCO) was incorporated at two percentages (2.5% and 5.0%) to study the effect on the nanoparticle characteristics. The average particle sizes of PM1-PM6 were in the range of 33.3±6.6 nm to 171.3±52.8 nm. The entrapment efficiency and the loading capacity of curcumin were in the range of 47.45%-77.35% and 0.048%w/w-0.078%w/w, respectively. When PEG-40HCO was incorporated in to the polymeric micelles, the particle size decreased and the entrapment efficiency increased. Thus, PM4 and PM5 were selected for further study. Moisturizing antioxidant creams containing 0.005%w/w of curcumin loaded in PM4, PM5 and curcumin simply dissolved in propylene glycol (PG) were formulated. The resulted formulations showed good spreadability and good characteristics. After being subjected to accelerated test, all of the formulations remained with characteristic color, pH and showed no phase separation. The stability data showed that the moisturizing antioxidant creams were stable for the whole 3 months after storage at accelerated temperature (45°C/75%RH). The study demonstrated that polymeric mixed micelle spontaneously encapsulated a poorly water-soluble curcumin and increased the solubility up to 250 folds. The developed moisturizing cream containing 0.005%w/w of curcumin resulted a greenish-yellow color preparation. It had tolerable physicochemical properties based on curcumin content, pH and viscosity under the harsh condition. The cream also had satisfactory antioxidant activity, which can be regarded as an effective and acceptable therapeutic or skincare products for topical uses.

Preparation and photodynamic bactericidal effects of curcumin-β-cyclodextrin complex

To overcome the poor water solubility of curcumin, a curcumin-β-cyclodextrin (Cur-β-CD) complex was prepared as a novel photosensitizer. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to verify the formation of Cur-β-CD. Furthermore, the ROS generation capacity and photodynamic bactericidal effect were measured to confirm this Cur-β-CD complex kept photodynamic activity of curcumin. The result showed Cur-β-CD could effectively generate ROS upon blue-light irradiation. The plate count assay demonstrated Cur-β-CD complex possess desirable photodynamic antibacterial effect against food-borne pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli. The cell morphology determined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) showed Cur-β-CD could cause cell deformation, surface collapse and cell structure damage of the bacteria, resulting in the leakage of cytoplasmic; while agarose gel electrophoresis and SDS-PAGE further illustrated the inactivation mechanisms by Cur-β-CD involve bacterial DNA damage and protein degradation.

Stabilizing effect of the cyclodextrins additive to spray-dried particles of curcumin/polyvinylpyrrolidone on the supersaturated state of curcumin

Although curcumin is considered to have various therapeutic effects, its use as a functional food or supplement is restricted owing to its low water solubility and bioavailability. To increase the solubility of curcumin in water, the use of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and vinylpyrrolidone-vinyl acetate copolymers with a pyrrolidone skeleton was noted to be promising. In particular, the bi-component formulations of curcumin/PVP prepared through spray drying exhibited an amorphous state in powder X-ray diffraction observations and temporally increased the apparent solubility of curcumin to over 5000 times that of untreated curcumin; nevertheless, after 24 h, the solubility decreased owing to the unstable supersaturated state of curcumin. The addition of α-cyclodextrin (α-CyD) in the bi-component curcumin/PVP formulation helped maintain the supersaturated state of curcumin, whereas the addition of β- and γ-CyD led to the collapse of the supersaturated state. The addition of α-CyD can likely help inhibit the nucleation and crystal growth of curcumin, through the interaction among the solubilized units of curcumin/PVP and α-CyD.

Galactose-Clicked Curcumin-Mediated Reversal of Meropenem Resistance among Klebsiella pneumoniae by Targeting Its Carbapenemases and the AcrAB-TolC Efflux System.

In over eighty years, despite successive antibiotics discoveries, the rapid advent of multidrug resistance among bacterial pathogens has jolted our misapprehension of success over them. Resistance is spreading faster than the discovery of new antibiotics/antimicrobials. Therefore, the search for better antimicrobials/additives becomes prudent. A water-soluble curcumin derivative (Curaq) was synthesised, employing a Cu (I) catalysed 1, 3-cyclo addition reaction; it has been evaluated as a potential treatment for multidrug-resistant isolates and as an antibiotic adjuvant for meropenem against hypervirulent multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates. We also investigated its solubility and effect over carbapenemase activity. Additionally, we investigated its impact on the AcrAB-TolC system. We found that Curaq inhibited bacterial growth at a minimal concentration of 16 µg/mL; at a 32 µg/mL concentration, it killed bacterial growth completely. Only nine (9.4%) Klebsiella isolates were sensitive to meropenem; however, after synergising with Curaq (8 µg/mL), 85 (88.54%) hvKP isolates became sensitive to the drug. The Curaq also inhibited the AcrAB-TolC efflux system at 1 µg/mL concentration by disrupting the membrane potential and causing depolarisation. The kinetic parameters obtained also indicated its promise as a carbapenemase inhibitor. These results suggest that Curaq can be an excellent drug candidate as a broad-spectrum antibacterial and anti-efflux agent.

Development of water-soluble curcumin grafted magnetic nanoparticles for enhancing bioavailability, fluorescence, and magnetic resonance imaging activity

The chemo-fluorescent drug curcumin (CUR) is a safe and effective anticancer agent. The primary limitation of CUR is its poor solubility in water, which limits its bioavailability. We have developed an efficient chemotherapeutic and amorphous magneto-fluorescent CUR grafted magnetic nanoparticles (CUR-MAG NPs) using wet chemical process. The CUR grafting of MAG NPs improved the solubility, bioavailability, and internalization activities of CUR. CUR-MAG NPs can be used as a novel platform for in vivo biomedical applications.

Mesoporous silica particles based on complex micelles of poorly water-soluble compounds. One simple step to multidrug carriers

Curcumin, a natural water-insoluble compound of high biological activity, has been solubilized in the micelles of an antiseptic miramistin. As a result, curcumin water solubility increased up to 80 times. Miramistin micelles with the solubilized curcumin have been used as a hybrid template for the one-pot synthesis of mesoporous silica nanocontainers (MSNs) from tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and their loading with these two drugs. The obtained MSNs are of a prolonged shape and ordered porous structure with a high amount of encapsulated drugs. It is found that the drug content in MSNs depends on the miramistin-to-TEOS ratio as well as the temperatures of both the solubilization of curcumin and the synthesis of MSNs. Kinetics of miramistin and curcumin release from the MSNs into the aqueous media with different pH values has been studied. Drugs release rate increases in acidic medium (pH 4.9) in comparison to neutral medium. We believe that the obtained MSNs loaded with two bioactive compounds may provide enhanced bioavailability of curcumin and, therefore, turn to be promising to combat drug-resistant bacteria.

Use of Water-Soluble Curcumin in TPS/PBAT Packaging Material: Interference on Reactive Extrusion and Oxidative Stability of Chia Oil

The reactive extrusion technique is efficient in the incorporation of bioactive compounds for active packaging development. The application of curcumin, a strong antioxidant in its pure, isolated form to obtain active packaging has already been investigated; however, the use of water-soluble curcumin (WSC) in thermoplastic starch/poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (TPS/PBAT) films has not yet been investigated. It is important to determine how WSC would affect starch esterification reaction during reactive extrusion (REx). The use of WSC at 0.5%wt led to an increase in tensile strength, elongation at break, and Young’s modulus. A reduction in starch esterification was observed; however, an improvement in TPS/PBAT compatibility was detected by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy images. It is worth noting that WSC addition resulted in an increase in the film’s solubility and water vapor permeability, due to the hydrophilic character of the WSC. The films were used to package chia oil, and the oxidative stability data were evaluated by UV-Vis spectroscopy coupled with principal component analysis. The addition of WSC (0.5%wt) in the films led to the improvement of the oil oxidative stability, suggesting that using water-soluble curcumin may be a promising alternative to active packaging in the case of reactive extruded films.

Cytotoxicity Effects of Curcumin Loaded on Chitosan Alginate Nanospheres on the KMBC-10 Spheroids Cell Line.

PurposeBreast cancer is one of the most lethal types of cancer in women. Curcumin showed therapeutic potential against breast cancer, but applying that by itself does not lead to the associated health benefits due to its poor bioavailability, which appears to be primarily due to poor absorption, rapid metabolism, and rapid elimination. Moreover, poor water solubility of curcumin causes accumulation of a high concentration of curcumin and so decrease its permeability to the cell. Many strategies are employed to reduce curcumin metabolism such as adjuvants and designing novel delivery systems. Therefore, in this study sodium alginate and chitosan were used to synthesize the hydrogels that are known as biocompatible, hydrophilic and low toxic drug delivery systems. Also, folic acid was used to link to chitosan in order to actively targetfolate receptors on the cells.MethodsChitosan-β-cyclodextrin-TPP-Folic acid/alginate nanoparticles were synthesized and then curcumin was loaded on them. Interaction between the constituents of the particles was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy. Morphological structures of samples were studied by FE-SEM. Release profile of curcumin was determined by dialysis membrane. The cytotoxic test was done on the Kerman male breast cancer (KMBC-10) cell line by using MTT assay. The viability of cells was detected by fluorescent staining. Gene expression was investigated by real-time PCR.ResultsThe encapsulation of curcumin into nano-particles showed an almost spherical shape and an average particle size of 155 nm. In vitro cytotoxicity investigation was indicated as dose-respond reaction against cancer breast cells after 24 h incubation. On the other hand, in vitro cell uptake study revealed active targeting of CUR-NPs into spheroids. Besides, CXCR4 expression was detected about 30-fold less than curcumin alone. The CUR-NPs inhibited proliferation and increased apoptosis in spheroid human breast cancer cells.ConclusionOur results showed the potential of NPs as an effective candidate for curcumin delivery to the target tumor spheroids that confirmed the creatable role of folate receptors.

Enhancement of curcumin solubility by some choline chloride-based deep eutectic solvents at different temperatures

Curcumin (CUR) is a biologically active substance and a natural antioxidant, but it is almost insoluble in water and has low bioavailability. A possible solution to this barrier could be to use solvents that exhibit low toxicity and are biodegradable. Choline chloride-based deep eutectic solvents (DESs) can be used as a co-solvent to increase the solubility of curcumin. The objectives of this study are to introduce and prepare DESs, to measure the solubility of CUR in water and DESs as well as in water-DES mixtures with different weight fractions. In this perspective, the solubility of CUR is measured in the mixtures of water with some DESs based on choline chloride (ChCl) and in pure solvents at T = 298.15 K to 318.15 K. The measured solubility data were correlated by the activity coefficients models e-NRTL and UNIQUAC. Finally, the apparent thermodynamic functions entropy, enthalpy, and Gibbs free energy were estimated for dissolution process using van't Hoff equation.

Preparation and characterization of curcumin solid dispersion using HPMC.

Curcumin solid dispersions were prepared using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) to enhance water solubility of curcumin. The particle size of curcumin solid dispersions was in range from 371 to 528nm and particles were shaped as spherical with wrinkles. The encapsulation efficiency was over 93% for all samples, and water solubility of curcumin was significantly improved to 238µg/mL when the ratio of curcumin to HPMC was 20:80. The results of X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimeter, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that crystalline form of curcumin changed to amorphous form. Curcumin solid dispersions showed improved dissolution behavior compared to pure curcumin and the curcumin release kinetic studies were applied to find best-fitting model. This study showed a great potential of solid dispersion using HPMC as curcumin delivery system with improved water solubility and oral absorption. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Curcumin has limited applications in the food industry because of low water solubility. Dongoh water-soluble curcumin (DW-CURs) were prepared by solid dispersion method with HPMC. Our results indicated that curcumin solid dispersions improved the water solubility of curcumin and showed a sustained release, demonstrating its possibility of body application. Therefore, DW-CURs are a promising formulation for application as a functional ingredient in the food industry.

Enhanced anti-inflammatory potential of degradation resistant curcumin/ferulic acid eutectics embedded in triglyceride-based microemulsions

Negligible solubility of curcumin in water combined with rapid degradation have limited its medical applications. In this contribution, eutectic mixture of curcumin with one of its degradation products (ferulic acid) was encapsulated into long and medium chain triglycerides oils and stabilised by the non-ionic surfactant polyoxyethylene oleyl ether Brij® O10 (C18:1E10) and bile acid derivative (sodium deoxycholate). Thermal and spectroscopic analysis confirmed the presence of curcumin as solid nanocrystals embedded within the microemulsion droplets. UV-spectroscopy and LC-MS studies of formed microemulsions revealed that degradation of curcumin in water was significantly reduced with more than 83% of curcumin remained intact after 24 h 1H NMR results showed that curcumin remained stable upon heating in the range between 297K and 327 K with no signs of degradation to ferulic acid. The results showed solubility enhancement of curcumin with a range of 3–5 mg/mL. NF-κB reporter cell assay revealed low cytotoxicity and three folds stronger anti-inflammatory potential compared to curcumin. Microemulsions remained stable for over 12 months with extended stability of formulations that contained curcumin/ferulic acid in glyceryl tricaprate based microemulsions. Overall these results suggest novel role for particle engineering via using ferulic acid as stability and activity enhancer for curcumin through free radicals scavenging mechanism.

Making of water soluble curcumin to potentiate conventional antimicrobials by inducing apoptosis-like phenomena among drug-resistant bacteria

The upsurge of multidrug resistant bacterial infections with declining pipeline of newer antibiotics has made it imperative to develop newer molecules or tailor the existing molecules for more effective antimicrobial therapies. Since antiquity, the use of curcumin, in the form of Curcuma longa paste, to treat infectious lesions is unperturbed despite its grave limitations like instability and aqueous insolubility. Here, we utilized “click” chemistry to address both the issues along with improvisation of its antibacterial and antibiofilm profile. We show that soluble curcumin disrupts several bacterial cellular processes leading to the Fenton’s chemistry mediated increased production of reactive oxygen species and increased membrane permeability of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. We here report that its ability to induce oxidative stress can be harnessed to potentiate activities of ciprofloxacin, meropenem, and vancomycin. In addition, we demonstrated that the soluble curcumin reported herein even sensitizes resistant Gram-negative clinical isolates to the Gram-positive specific antibiotic vancomycin, thereby expanding the antibacterial spectrum of this drug. This work shows that the soluble curcumin can be used to enhance the action of existing antimicrobials against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria thus strengthening the antibiotic arsenal for fighting resistant bacterial infections for many years to come.

Curcumin–silica nanocomplex preparation, hemoglobin and DNA interaction and photocytotoxicity against melanoma cancer cells

Melanoma is a malignant cancer of the skin associated with a high mortality. Early medical diagnosis and surgical intervention are essential for the treatment of melanoma. The use of plant-based compounds is an important strategy for the prevention and treatment of different types of cancers. Curcumin is a promising natural anticancer compound used towards treatment for various kinds of cancers. Studies have shown that curcumin could be applied as a photosensitizer in cancer photodynamic therapy (PDT). PDT uses light and a photosensitizing agent which produce reactive oxygen species leading to cancer cell death. The main obstacle for using curcumin as photosensitizer is its low solubilization ability in an aqueous environment. To improve its application in cancer treatment, we synthetized curcumin–silica nanoparticles as photosensitizer for photodynamic treatment of human melanoma cancer cells. Scanning electron microscopy, Transmission electron microscopy, Powder X-ray diffraction and Thermo geometric analysis indicated that curcumin was loaded on silica. The solubility of curcumin in water increased by using silica nanoparticles which wasconfirmed by spectroscopy results. The spectroscopy study confirmed the interaction of curcumin–silica nanocomplex with double strand DNA and no interaction with hemoglobin. The curcumin–silica nanocomplex and curcumin photodynamic effect was investigated on human melanoma cancer cells (A375) and also human fibroblast cells. The cell toxicity experiments showed that the curcumin–silica nanocomplex had greater photodynamic effects on cancer cell death as compared to free curcumin. The apoptotic assay by acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) dual staining and colony forming ability confirmed the MTT results. Therefore, these results suggest that the curcumin–silica nanocomplex has great potential to be employed in photodynamic treatment of melanoma cancer.

A mesostructured hybrid CTA\u2013silica carrier for curcumin delivery

Curcumin is a natural active principle with antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Its use is limited by a low water solubility and fast degradation rate, which hinder its bioavailability. To overcome this problem, curcumin can be delivered through a carrier, which protects the drug molecule and enhances its pharmacological effects. The present work proposes a simple one-pot sol–gel synthesis to obtain a hybrid carrier for curcumin delivery. The hybrid consists of a mesostructured matrix of amorphous silica, which stabilizes the carrier, and hexadecyltrimethylammonium (CTA), a surfactant where curcumin is dissolved to increase its water solubility. The carrier was characterized in terms of morphology (FESEM), physicochemical properties (XRD, FTIR, UV spectroscopy) and release capability in pseudo-physiological solutions. Results show that curcumin molecules were entrapped, for the first time, in a silica-surfactant mesostructured hybrid carrier. The hybrid carrier successfully released curcumin in artificial sweat and in a phosphate buffer saline solution, so confirming its efficacy in increasing curcumin water solubility. The proposed drug release mechanism relies on the degradation of the carrier, which involves the concurrent release of silicon. This suggests strong potentialities for topical administration applications, since curcumin is effective against many dermal diseases while silicon is beneficial to the skin.A simple one-pot sol–gel organic-solvent-free synthesis, at room temperature, leads to the formation of a hybrid mesostructured CTA–silica containing curcumin. When in pseudo-physiological solutions, the hybrid releases curcumin (enclosed in surfactant micelles), with enhanced solubility, and silicates. This material is a promising candidate for topical administration of drugs, since curcumin is effective against several dermatological diseases and silicon is beneficial to skin.

Aqueous solubilization and extraction of curcumin enhanced by imidazolium, quaternary ammonium, and tropine ionic liquids, and insight of ionic liquids-curcumin interaction

The limited water solubility of curcumin becomes an obstacle in its preparation, processing, and application. Ionic liquids (ILs) were wildly applied as “green” solvents possessing design flexibility. Three types of ILs with different cations or anions were employed in the solubilization and extraction of curcumin. It seems that the hydrophobic chain of ILs plays a key role. Superior solubilization and extraction capacity were achieved with surface-active ionic liquids (SAILs), which contain long alkyl chain and a charged hydrophilic head group, resulting in their ability of aggregation and micelle formation. To put an insight into the ILs-curcumin interaction and the solubilization mechanism, UV–vis spectroscopic studies, density functional theory (DFT) calculation, and 1H NMR studies were carried out. At first, curcumin undergoes diketone-enol tautomerism with the binding of ILs monomer. Then, SAILs begin to aggregate and form micelle with the increased concentration, meanwhile, the solubility of curcumin is remarkably enhanced. The solubilized curcumin is located in the palisade of micelle in which a hydrophobic environment is provided.

Curcumin-Loaded Electrospun Fibers: Fluorescence and Antibacterial Activity

The health benefits and sensing applications of curcumin-based systems depend on their prevailing photophysical and chemical properties at a specific environment—the characteristic low solubility of curcumin in water hinders high-dosage based applications. To circumvent this drawback, curcumin has been incorporated in hydrophobic environments in nanoscale. Herein, electrospun fibers of Eudragit L100 were loaded with curcumin and applied in fluorescence and antibacterial assays to evaluate prevailing physical and chemical properties in solid-state. The characteristic high loading degree of curcumin (250 mg/mL in Eudragit L100 solution) preserves not only the photophysical properties of molecules (such as the intrinsic fluorescence) but also the antibacterial activity of released molecules from electrospun fibers, characterizing an important strategy for improvement in the applicability potential of natural materials.

Role of micellar interface in the synthesis of chitosan nanoparticles formulated by reverse micellar method

Chitosan nanoparticles (Ch-NPs) have been extensively studied due to their wide applicability. The reverse micellar method has attracted special attention as a way to synthesize them, since it makes it possible to obtain size-controlled particles. This procedure involves the chitosan crosslinking reaction into polar cores of reverse micelles (RMs). Previous studies using sodium 1,4-bis-2-ethylhexylsulfosuccinate (AOT) RMs as nanoreactors showed that by changing the reagent concentration and RM water content, the final particle size can be adjusted. To gain insight into this method, we studied the effect of the micellar interface on the synthesis of Ch-NPs. Both benzyl-n-hexadecyldimethylammonium chloride (BHDC) and AOT RMs were assessed, since there are remarkable differences between their interfacial water entrapped structure. Ch-NPs were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering, and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Simulation studies by molecular theory were also performed. On the other hand, Ch-NPs obtained under different conditions were assessed in terms of their ability to solubilize curcumin, whose numerous therapeutic properties are somewhat countered by its poor solubility in water. The results show that Ch-NPs can be obtained from AOT and BHDC RMs by the reverse micellar method. The crosslinking reaction takes place in the micellar interface, and is more effective in AOT RMs. This difference in effectiveness can be attributed to the different positions Ch acquires in each of the two RMs tested. Finally, the NPs notably enhance the water solubility of curcumin, and particle size is the main determining factor for encapsulation efficiency.