Curcumin Solution Research Articles

Impact of Curcumin-Mediated Photosensitization on Fungal Growth, Physicochemical Properties and Nutritional Composition in Australian Grown Strawberry

The effect of photosensitization mediated by curcumin on fungal growth, physicochemical properties and nutritional composition in Australian grown “Albion” strawberries was evaluated. Curcumin solution (1200, 1000 and 800 μM) was sprayed on the strawberry surface, followed by illumination using blue light (420 nm) for 10 min at a dosage of 42 J/cm2 and stored at 4 ± 2 °C for 12 days. The fruit photosensitized with 1000-μM curcumin (10 min, followed by storage at 4 ± 2 °C) lasted up to 12 days with a fungal infection rate of 52%, whereas untreated control fruit developed 100% fungal infection and lasted for 8 days only under the same conditions. This treatment did not have an effect on colour, pH, moisture content, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, total phenolic content and anthocyanins, whereas total soluble solids (9%) and total sugar (22%) were increased (p < 0.05). These initial results indicate that curcumin-based photosensitization could be an effective non-thermal technology to preserve the nutritional quality as well as to extend the postharvest life of fresh strawberry fruit.

In vitro antimicrobial effect of curcumin-based photodynamic therapy on Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a bactericidal method, which has recently been introduced in the field of dental medicine and therapy. Curcumin, a compound isolated from Curcuma longa L., exerts potent phototoxic effects at micromolar concentrations. The aim of our study was to explore the in vitro antimicrobial effect of curcumin-based PDT on two major etiological agents of periodontitis, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. P. gingivalis ATCC33277 and A. actinomycetemcomitans ATCC24523 suspension was irradiated with blue LED (BL) (450-470 nm, output power density 1.2 W/cm2) for 20-60 s (6-18 J/cm2), treated with curcumin (2 min), or subjected to a combination of curcumin treatment and BL irradiation (60 s, 18 J/cm2). A suspension of chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) was used as the positive control. All bacterial suspensions used were serially diluted, plated, and incubated anaerobically or microaerobically. The numbers of colony-forming units (CFUs) were counted on day 7. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's HSD tests were used for statistical analysis. BL irradiation at 6, 12, and 18 J/cm2 alone reduced the number of CFUs of both P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans, but the reduction was not statistically significant. Compared with BL irradiation alone, curcumin solution at 20 μmol/L used alone achieved a lower reduction in the number of CFUs. Combined use of BL at 18 J/cm2 20 μmol/L curcumin treatment yielded a log reduction of 0.43 and 1.51 for P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans CFUs, respectively. Suspensions treated with 0.12 % CHG showed a log reduction of 0.29 and 0.28 for P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans CFUs, respectively. Although the bactericidal and growth-inhibitory effects of BL alone on P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans were not significant, A. actinomycetemcomitans was susceptible to photodynamic inactivation by the combination of BL and curcumin.

A difunctional Pluronic®127-based in situ formed injectable thermogels as prolonged and controlled curcumin depot, fabrication, in vitro characterization and in vivo safety evaluation

Curcumin has been reported to be used widely against many types of pathological conditions in clinics. However, due to its limitations such as poor solubility, poor oral absorption and low stability have limited its applications. In the current study, a series of novel chemically cross-linkable depot gel formulations were developed based on thermoresponsive micellar polymer (Pluronic®127) with polyelectrolyte hydrophilic monomer, that is, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid by cold and in situ grafting polymerization method. The formulations were aimed to deliver curcumin at controlled rate from in situ formed depot after administration through subcutaneous route in vivo. The sol-gel phase transitions of formulations were observed by rheological analysis, tube titling and optical transmittance measurements. Maximum swelling of gel formulations was observed at pH 7.4 and below CGT, that is, 25 °C. The in vitro release profile exhibits maximum drug release at pH 7.4 and 25 °C owing to relaxed gel state. In vitro degradation profile of gel formulations showed controlled degradation rate. Cell growth inhibition study confirmed the biocompatibility and safe nature of bare gel formulations against L929 cell lines. In vitro cytotoxic study showed that curcumin loaded in gel formulation has controlled pharmacological activity against HeLa and MCF-7 cancer cells as compared to free drug solution. The IC50 values calculated for pure curcumin solution (30 ± 0.77 µg/ml for HeLa and 27 ± 0.39 µg/ml for MCF-7) were found higher in comparison to curcumin-loaded thermogels against HeLa (19 ± 0.28 µg/ml and 23 ± 0.81 µg/ml) and MCF-7 (22 ± 0.54 µg/ml and 21 ± 0.49 µg/ml). Histopathological and hematological analysis showed the biocompatible nature of hydrogels. Structural confirmation was done by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) confirmed the thermal stability of the gel formulation. The porous structure of gel formulations was assessed by scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis. Results concluded that newly developed gel formulations have thermoresponsive behavior with phase transition at body temperature and can be used as in situ controlled drug depot.

Curcumin extracts from Curcuma Longa – Improvement of concentration, purity, and stability in food-approved and water-soluble surfactant-free microemulsions

Curcumin was extracted from Curcuma Longa employing a green, bio-based, and food-agreed surfactant-free microemulsion (SFME) consisting of water, ethanol, and triacetin. Concerning the high solubility of curcumin in the examined ternary mixtures, it was attempted to produce highly concentrated tinctures of up to a total of ~130 mg/mL curcuminoids in the solvent by repeatedly extracting fresh rhizomes in the same extraction mixture. The amount of water had a significant influence on the number of cycles that could be performed as well as on the extraction of the different curcuminoids. In addition, the purity of single extracts was enhanced to 94% by investigating several purification steps, e.g. vacuum distillation and lyophilization. Through purification before extraction, the water insoluble curcumin extract could be solubilized indefinitely in an aqueous environment. Additional stability tests showed that solutions of curcumin can be stable up to five months when concealed from natural light.

Preparation, optimization and preliminary pharmacokinetic study of curcumin encapsulated turmeric oil microemulsion in zebra fish

The present investigation aimed to develop curcumin loaded turmeric oil microemulsion for brain targeting. An effort has been made to investigate the role of functional components in developing brain targeted formulation which could enhance the bioavailability and uptake of drug in the brain upon oral administration. Preliminary studies like solubility study, emulsification study and construction of the pseudo ternary phase diagram were performed for screening components. The formulation was optimized by using extreme vertices mixture design. The optimized formulation was characterized for appearance, stability to centrifugation, dilution potential, globule size, zeta potential and drug content. Furthermore, ex-vivo permeation in chicken gut sac non everted technique and pharmacokinetic study in adult zebra fishes were carried out. The optimized formulation was found to clear, yellow-colored with the absence of phase separation and precipitation denoted the stability of formulation to centrifugation and dilution. The mean globule size, polydispersity index, zeta potential and drug content was observed as 29.13± 0.12 nm, 0.23 ± 0.01,-12.33 ± 1.37 mV and 99.10±3.91 %, respectively. Ex vivo permeation study revealed 2.41 fold enhancement in the steady-state flux when compared to curcumin solution. Furthermore, optimized formulation showed shorter Tmax (5 min) and higher AUC(0-∞) (7.93 μg/brain*min) compared to the curcumin solution which showed similar Tmax and AUC(0-∞) of 2.78 μg/brain*min after oral administration to zebra fishes revealing 3.97 fold enhancement. The results revealed enhanced ex vivo oral absorption and enhanced in vivo brain pharmacokinetics of curcumin via functional microemulsion in the zebra fish model.

Evaluating the efficacy of different curcumin polymorphs in transdermal drug delivery

Curcumin exists in three polymorphic forms: one monoclinic form and two orthorhombic forms. This work aims to investigate the efficacy of curcumin polymorphs in transdermal drug delivery by formulating curcumin polymorphs and their incorporation in polymeric films. Monoclinic form, Form 1, was precipitated by liquid antisolvent technique from acetone solutions, whereas orthorhombic form, Form 2, was obtained by vacuum evaporation of solutions of curcumin in a mixed solvent of chloroform and hexane (60:40%v/v). The other orthorhombic form, Form 3, was precipitated from dimethylsulfoxide solutions. All three curcumin polymorphs were incorporated into polymeric films made of low molecular weight hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC E5LV) along with different plasticizers, and permeation enhancers. Radical scavenging activity and cytotoxicity of curcumin polymorphs on human melanoma cell lines were evaluated. Water uptake, in-vitro release, and in-vitro permeation studies on HPMC films loaded with curcumin polymorph were carried out. Cytotoxicity studies on human melanoma cells (SK-MEL-28) showed that Form 2 results in the highest cell inhibition. Among all three curcumin polymorphs, the free radical scavenging activity of Form 3 was found to be the highest. HPMC films loaded with Form 3 exhibited higher water uptake and higher curcumin release profiles at pH of 5.5 (95.3% in 20 h) and pH 7.4 (79.8% in 20 h) as well as the highest in-vitro permeation compared to the other two curcumin forms. Overall, orthorhombic curcumin polymorphs (i.e., Form 2 and Form 3) showed a higher propensity for transdermal drug delivery as compared to the monoclinic curcumin (Form 1).

Curcumin Niosomes (curcusomes) as an alternative to conventional vehicles: A potential for efficient dermal delivery

This research aimed to enhance the skin delivery of curcumin niosome (curcusome) made by a thin film hydration technique. To optimize the cucusome formulations the effect of the ratio of cholesterol:surfactants was investigated. The solid-state and morphology of curcumin in curcusome was characterized by photon correlation spectroscopy, powder x-ray diffractometer (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). The results showed that the particle size of curcusomes decreased by adding cholesterol. The results showed that the size and zeta potential of nanoparticles can be modulated by the changes in cholesterol and surfactant concentrations. Zeta potential data showed an increase in this value from −0.73 ± 0.31 to −9.31 ± 0.97 mV when the concentration of cholesterol declined from 1.8 to 0%. Maximum entrapment efficiency around 95% was observed for a formulation with the greatest content of cholesterol. Solid-state analysis results ruled out any interaction between excipients and curcumin, and also showed that curcumin was in an amorphous state in the niosomes. Skin permeation test showed that the amounts of the curcumin in skin layers and the receptor chamber was greater for curcusome than when the curcumin solution was used. The skin irritation test of the formulations on Wistar rats showed that the curcumin niosomal gels were not irritant. Finally, curcusome formulations revealed considerable antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities compared to the control group in the late phase. The utilizations of the curcusome gel modified the tail-flick latency as compared to the curcumin simple gel, placebo, as well as the simple gel (P < 0.05). These results suggested that nisomes could enhance the efficiency of curcumin as an antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory agent via improvement in drug delivery to the target location.

Complexation of curcumin using proteins to enhance aqueous solubility and bioaccessibility: Pea protein vis-à-vis whey protein

Abstract Curcumin faces challenges such as poor aqueous solubility and limited bioaccessibility which limits its oral therapeutic applications. This work evaluated the complexation of curcumin using pea protein isolate (PPI, leguminous protein) vis-a-vis whey protein isolate (WPI, animal protein) to overcome these limitations. Thermodynamic parameters (ΔH and ΔS) indicated the interaction to be hydrophobic in nature. While WPI-curcumin complex showed better aqueous solubility for curcumin than PPI-curcumin complex at varying pH (3, 5 & 7), the PPI-curcumin complex showed better solubility at higher temperature of 80 °C. The solubility of curcumin in WPI-curcumin and PPI-curcumin complex at pH 7 was 1.16 mg/g and 1.02 mg/g, respectively. The protein curcumin solutions were further spray dried and characterized for surface hydrophobicity, crystallinity, thermal properties, and surface morphology. Both the proteins showed a similar score for bioaccessibility of curcumin from their respective complexes. Thus PPI can be a good non-dairy protein alternative for curcumin delivery.

Clinical and Biochemical Effects of 1% Curcumin Solution as an Adjunct to Scaling and Root Planing on Patients with Chronic Periodontitis

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the effects of subgingival irrigation of curcumin as an adjunct to scaling and root planing in the treatment of chronic periodontitis. &#x0D; Methods: 60 patients aged 30-50 years with chronic periodontitis recruited; 20 patients received subgingival irrigation of 1% of curcumin solution, 20 patients received subgingival irrigation of 0.12% of chlorhexidine solution, and 20 patients received scaling and root planing only (SRP). Pocket irrigation was conducted at baseline, 3, and 7 days after scaling and root planing. Clinical parameters and blood samples were collected at baseline before therapy and after two months of treatment to estimate the levels of total protein (TP), C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzyme.&#x0D; Results: Significant reduction of clinical and biochemical parameters after two months of treatment in the curcumin group (P&lt;0.05). Nearly the same pattern for the chlorhexidine group (P&lt;0.05), with non-significant differences with a baseline for albumin (P&gt;0.05). Reduction of clinical parameters (P&lt;0.05) and increase of CRP, ALP, and TP levels had been seen after scaling and root planing in the SRP group. No significant differences between the three main groups in relation to clinical parameters (P&gt;0.05), with the exception of the gingival index and biochemical parameters (P&lt;0.05).&#x0D; Conclusions: Curcumin can be effectively used as an adjunct to scaling and root planing as chlorhexidine in chronic periodontitis due to the reduction of clinical parameters and inflammatory chemical markers; CRP, TP, and ALP enzyme.

Uji Kandungan Boraks Pada Bakso Di Kecamatan Muara Bangkahulu Kota Bengkulu

Meatball is one of meals liked by many people, from kids, teenagers, to adults. However, in meatball making process, there are still some sellers who add borax into the dough which is actually very dangerous to people health. This research aimed to detect borax in some meatball samples using curcumin compound. The samples were collected from Muara Bangkahulu sub-district, Bengkulu city, using purposive sampling method. Samples preparation was conducted in Regional Technical Implementation Unit (UPTD) KESMAVET laboratory using curcumin solution 0.5% and the samples were examined after method validation. From 20 samples examined, 5 samples were positive containing borax. In sample M210111, the borax concentration was between 1% ?x?5% or 1?x?5 g/100 ml, meanwhile samples M210103, M210112, M210114 contained borax in range 0.5%?x?1% or 0.5?x?1 g/100 m. The samples prevalence value was 18.51% and the samples incidence value was 25%.

Preparation of Poloxamer188-b-PCL and Study on in vitro Radioprotection Activity of Curcumin-Loaded Nanoparticles.

A novel polymer of poloxamer188-b-PCL was synthesized via a ring-opening polymerization. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectra were used to study the structures of obtained poloxamer188-b-PCL. The thermo-stability of poloxamer188 -b-PCL was carried out with a thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA), and cytotoxicity was obtained using the CCK8 method. Cargo-free and curcumin (CUR)-loaded poloxamer188-b-PCL NPs were fabricated via the solvent evaporation method. The morphology, particle size distribution, and stability of cargo-free NPs were studied with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and laser particle analyzer. The in vitro radioprotection activity of CUR-loaded NPs was performed. FTIR, Raman, and 1H NMR spectra confirmed that poloxamer188-b-PCL was obtained. TGA curves suggested poloxamer188-b-PCL had better thermo-stability than original poloxamer188. Cell tests suggested that the cargo-free NPs had no cytotoxicity. SEM image showed that the cargo-free NPs were spherical with a diameter of 100 nm. Free radical scavenging experiments proved that CUR-loaded NPs had better antioxidant activity than CUR solutions. CUR-loaded NPs could be detected in all tissues, including liver, kidneys and lung. In summary, this work demonstrated a feasibility of developing an injective formulation of CUR and provided a protection agent in caner radiotherapy.

Curcumin in dimethyl sulfoxide: Stability, spectral, luminescent and acid-base properties

Studying the properties of curcumin in alkaline dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) has led to the following unexpected findings. Curcumin is inert towards autooxidation in this medium. Its triple-deprotonated form exhibits fluorescence with the emission maximum at 580 nm, which is reported for the first time in the present work. The fluorescence quantum yield of such a form amounts to 0.13, that is more than twice as high as the fluorescence quantum yield of the neutral form of curcumin. Solutions of curcumin in DMSO, unlike its aqueous solutions, manifest contrasting color transitions of deprotonated forms.

Antibacterial wound dressing electrospun nanofibrous material from polyvinyl alcohol, honey and Curcumin longa extract

In the recent years, the medical sector is getting increasingly interested in the wound dressing materials that contain medicinal herb instead of metal nanoparticles to impart antibacterial or other desirable properties. Herein, a novel multicomponent nanofibrous mat has been successfully prepared by electrospinning technique from a blended solution of polyvinyl alcohol, honey and Curcumin longa (turmeric) extract for potential application as the wound dressing material. Ethyl acetate extraction was followed to obtain the restorative components of turmeric. The fabricated nanofibrous materials were characterized by scanning electron microscope, moisture management tester, bacterial assay and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to evaluate their morphological, moisture, antibacterial and chemical behavior, respectively. Nanofibers of fabricated mat show an average diameter of 340 nm with better moisture management properties compared to polyvinyl alcohol nanomat alone. The agar diffusion method has been used to evaluate the antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria showing the formation of inhibition zone with a value of 29 mm and 38 mm. The presence of characteristic peaks in Fourier-transform infrared spectra reveals that all the desired components are present in the developed nanofibrous mats.

Antiviral Action of Curcumin Encapsulated in Nanoemulsion against Four Serotypes of Dengue Virus.

Curcumin has been used as a traditional medicine showing antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, and antiviral properties. Despite the promising potentials, curcumin-based drug development is hindered due to its poor solubility and cell uptake. This study aims to produce curcumin nanoemulsion (nanocurcumin) and evaluate its physical characteristics and in vitro cell cytotoxicity and antiviral activity against dengue virus (DENV). Nanocurcumin was generated by self-nanoemulsion technique. Cytotoxicity was determined using MTT assay in A549 cell line. Anti-DENV properties were determined by calculation of inhibitory concentration 50 (IC50) and plaque assay. The resulting nanoemulsion showed uniform droplet size distribution with the average droplet size of 40.85 ± 0.919 nm. Nanocurcumin exhibited higher cell cytotoxicity compared to curcumin solution and may be explained by better cell uptake. Nanocurcumin treatment suppressed DENV growth, although no significant difference observed compared to the curcumin solution counterpart. Greater virus reduction was observed for DENV-1 and DENV-2. The synthesis of nanocurcumin improved curcumin physicochemical properties with potential as antiviral against DENV.

Development and Characterization of Wound Dressing Material Coated with Natural Extracts of Curcumin, Aloe vera and Chitosan Solution Enhanced with rhEGF (REGEN-DTM)

ABSTRACT In this work, the leave extracts of Aloe vera, piper betel and neem leaf were prepared and coated on bamboo fiber based material for wound dressing applications. The fabrics coated with different compositions of the natural extract were enhanced with rhEGF (REGEN-D™ 150). The FTIR confirms the presence of alcoholic and phenolic group which were responsible for antibacterial activity. The SEM morphology of the developed dressing material was porous nature and more suitable for the process of curing wound. In antimicrobial tests, the zone of incubation of E. coli and S. aureus ranges from 18 mm and 22. In vivo study using albino rats induced with diabetes reveals that the wound healing rate is increased in the range of 25% to 54% compared to a negative-control group. Overall, the natural extracts coated dressing material has considerable potential and well suited for clinical application that was evidenced through antimicrobial and in vivo study results. Therefore, natural extracts coated on bamboo-based dressing materials are claimed to have helpful nature for wound healing and the current study will be one of the platforms for natural extracts coated material-based medical textile applications.

Effects of Curcumin on Biological Behavior and NF-κB/TNF-α Pathway in Mice with Metastatic Bone Pain of Breast Cancer Induced by Walker 256 Cells

Background. The active ingredient curcumin of traditional Chinese medicine was selected as the research object to investigate the possible mechanism of breast cancer metastatic bone pain in mouse walker 256 cells and the effect of curcumin on the NF-κB/TNF-α pathway in order to provide a new idea for clinical treatment of breast cancer metastatic bone pain. Methods. By establishing an animal model of breast cancer bone metastasis in walker 256 cells, the biological behavior of nude mice was observed on the 8th day after successful modeling. Meanwhile, the low dose group, middle dose group and high dose group of mice were given 15 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg of curcumin solution intraperitoneally in 21 days, and the right cavity bone and spinal cord distended in mice (L4-L6) tissues were used to detect related factors, Immunohistochemical method was used to detect c-fos in spinal cord. Expression levels of RANK, NF-κB and TNF-α were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot. Meanwhile, serum levels of Cox2, il-6, leukotriene and PGE2 were detected. Results. Observing the biological behavior index of nude mice, we found that the mechanical pain and thermal pain threshold decreased (p Conclusions. On the 8th day after the success of the animal model of breast cancer bone metastasis in Walker 256 cells, abnormal biological behaviors such as heat pain, cold pain sensation and spontaneous hyperalgesia were observed. Further studies have found that the increased expression of rank on osteoclasts induced up-regulated expression of NF-κB and c-fos, induced expression of TNF-α gene, and could induce synthesis and release of leukotriene, PGE2 through direct activation of cyclooxygenase, inflammatory media IL-6 cascade reaction, resulting in pathological pain and hypersensitivity. Traditional Chinese medicine active ingredient curcumin could reduce RANK expression of osteoclast, inhibit cell NF-κB and spinal cord c-fos activity, reduce TNF-α expression, inhibit Cox2 activity, and reduce the synthesis and release of inflammatory factors leukotriene and PGE2, thus exerting its analgesic effect, which provides new ideas and methods for clinical treatment of metastatic bone pain in breast cancer.

Application of a Microreactor to Pharmaceutical Manufacturing: Preparation of Amorphous Curcumin Nanoparticles and Controlling the Crystallinity of Curcumin Nanoparticles by Ultrasonic Treatment

Amorphous nanoparticles of curcumin (ANC) with primary particle sizes of 50 to 100nm were prepared using a forced thin film reactor (FTFR). An ethanolic solution of curcumin and polyvinylpyrrolidone was mixed with purified water in an FTFR to precipitate the curcumin nanoparticles. In order to obtain amorphous particles, the solvent used and the operation conditions of FTFR such as the rotation speed of the disk and the flow rate of solutions were adjusted. According to powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), amorphous curcumin nanoparticles were obtained. To control the crystallinity, ultrasonic treatment was carried out on ANC suspended in water or hexane to which a polymer or a surfactant was added to prevent the growth of the particles. Transmission electron microscopy, XRD, and FT-IR analyses indicated that the treatment enabled the transformation of ANC to crystalline form 1 (a fundamental curcumin structure) and then to crystalline form 2 or crystalline form 3 without any change in the size of the primary particles. These findings suggest the possibility of preparing solid particles with a desired particle size and crystallinity.

Curcumin to Promote the Synthesis of Silver NPs and their Self-Assembly with a Thermoresponsive Polymer in Core-Shell Nanohybrids

This work presents a simple one-pot protocol to achieve core-doped shell nanohybrids comprising silver nanoparticles, curcumin and thermoresponsive polymeric shell taking advantage of the reducing properties of phenolic curcumin substance and its ability to decorate metallic surfaces. Silver nanoparticles were synthesized, via sodium citrate and silver nitrate addition into a boiling aqueous solution of curcumin, monomers and surfactant. Curcumin and sodium citrate promoted silver nucleation, acting as reducing and stabilizing agents. These curcumin-capped AgNPs enabled, after adding the radical polymerization initiator, the assembling of the growing polymer chains around the hydrophobic AgNP surface. The resultant core-doped shell nanohybrids exhibit plasmonic, luminescent and volume thermoresponsive properties, with improved possibilities to be used as successful therapeutic platforms. In fact, the possibility to nanoconfine the synergistic antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial features of silver and curcumin in one bioavailable hybrid paves the way to promising applications in the biomedical field.

A smart device-based digital image colorimetry for immediate and simultaneous determination of curcumin in turmeric

A fast, plausible, and novel analysis using smart device-based digital image colorimetry (smart device-based DIC) method based on color measurements obtained from digital images of curcumin solutions to determine curcumin in turmeric is proposed. Digital images were obtained using a smart device and daylight white light emitting diodes (LED) light source placed in a photography lightbox as the measurement device. Images in red, green, and blue (RGB) color space were processed to extract relevant colors from the image and the color values were used to analyze curcumin concentrations. Curcumin solutions extracted from turmeric samples using a 60:40 (v/v) mixture of ethanol and hydrochloric acid were captured and the concentration was estimated by comparing color values with those collected in a database. The proposed smart device-based DIC is able to provide a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.48 mg L−1 and a limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 1.61 mg L−1. The color values of curcumin were tested for accuracy using turmeric sample solution spiked with 1.00, 5.00, and 7.00 mg L−1 of standard curcumin. The average percentage recoveries were acceptable in all samples and the percentage recoveries of the method were in the range of 98.57–110.0%. The method was validated by comparing the results with measurements performed using Ultra Violet-Visible microplate reader (UV–Vis MR) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). There was no significant difference observed between the three methods. Consequently, smart device-based DIC provided a convenient, easy-to-use, low-cost, accurate, precise, and efficient approach for rapid detection of curcumin in turmeric.

Liposomes augment biological benefits of curcumin for multitargeted skin therapy

Curcumin, a multi-targeting pharmacologically active compound, is a promising molecule for the treatment of skin inflammation and infection in chronic wounds. However, its hydrophobic nature remains to be a challenge in development of its pharmaceutical products, including dermatopharmaceuticals. Here we propose deformable liposomes (DLs) as a mean to overcome the curcumin limitations in skin treatment. We explored the properties and biological effects of curcumin containing DLs (curcumin-DLs) with varying surface charge by preparing the neutral (NDLs), cationic (CDLs) and anionic (ADLs) nanocarriers. The vesicles of mean diameter 200–300 nm incorporated high curcumin load mirroring the type of employed surfactant. Curcumin-CDLs provided the most sustained ex vivo penetration of curcumin through the full thickness human skin. Although the curcumin-CDLs were the most potent regarding the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity, all curcumin-DLs were superior to curcumin in solution (control). No cytotoxicity in human skin fibroblasts was detected. All DLs significantly inhibited bacterial Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes growth in vitro. The curcumin-CDLs were found superior to other DLs. The incorporation of curcumin in DLs enabled both its sustained skin penetration and enhancement of its biological properties. Cationic nanocarriers enhanced the activities of curcumin to the greatest extent.