The search for novel anti-infectives is one of the most important challenges in natural product research, as diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi are influencing the human society all over the world. Natural compounds are a continuing source of novel anti-infectives. Accordingly, curcumin, has been used for centuries in Asian traditional medicine to treat various disorders. Numerous studies have shown that curcumin possesses a wide spectrum of biological and pharmacological properties, acting, for example, as anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic and anti-neoplastic, while no toxicity is associated with the compound. Recently, curcumin’s antiviral and antibacterial activity was investigated, and it was shown to act against various important human pathogens like the influenza virus, hepatitis C virus, HIV and strains of Staphylococcus , Streptococcus , and Pseudomonas . Despite the potency, curcumin has not yet been approved as a therapeutic antiviral agent. This review summarizes the current knowledge and future perspectives of the antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal effects of curcumin.

An electrospun fiber of polyvinyl(pyrrolidone) (PVP)-Tween 20 (T20) with curcumin as the encapsulated drug has been developed. A study of intermolecular interactions was performed using Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD).The Raman and FT-IR studies showed that curcumin preferrably interacted with T20 and altered PVP chain packing, as supported by XRD and physical stability data. The hydroxyl stretching band in PVP shifted to a lower wavenumber with higher intenstity in the presence of curcumin and PVP, indicating that hydrogen bond formation is more intense in a curcumin or curcumin-T20 containing fiber. The thermal pattern of the fiber did not indicate phase separation. The conversion of curcumin into an amorphous state was confirmed by XRD analysis. An in vitro release study in phosphate buffer pH 6.8 showed that intermolecular interactions between each material influenced the drug release rate. However, low porosity was found to limit the hydrogen bond-mediated release.Key words curcumin; fiber; electrospinning; interaction; porosity; polymeric drug delivery system Curcumin is the major constituent of turmeric rhizome (Curcuma sp.).1) Curcumin has a number of demonstrated pharmacological effects, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, hepatoprotective, 1) antimicrobial, and antiviral. 2)Clinical trials have proven that curcumin is well tolerated by the body, with a maximum dose of 12 g daily.3) Unfortunately, the efficacy of curcumin is limited by its poor solubility in water, as well as its instability under light, heat, and alkaline conditions.1) The solubility of curcumin in aqueous buffer (pH 5) is reported to be 11 ng/mL.3) Moreover, the absorption of curcumin in the gastrointestinal tract is very low, leading to poor bioavailability (in animals and humans).2) Therefore, designing an effective delivery system is necessary in order to address the limitations of curcumin use. 1-3)A wide range of drug delivery systems has been developed to improve the bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs, including fast-dissolving tablets, 4) incorporation into a hydrophilic complex, 1) micellization, and solid dispersion. 5) Electrospinning, a technique of producing thin strands of fiber using high voltage, has opened up opportunities in the development of drug delivery systems. An optimized electrospinning process can produce nano-sized fibers. 6)The high surface area and porosity of these electrospun fibers are advantageous in their use as carriers for poorly water-soluble drugs.5) The high surface area generally increases the dissolution rate of the incorporated drug, thus potentially enhancing its bioavailability. 5)Therefore, the incorporation of curcumin into an electrospun fiber is expected to improve its oral bioavailability.Tailoring a suitable drug-loaded fiber requires careful selection of materials, in addition to an optimized production process and environment. Generally, the drug is mixed with a polymer s...

Turmeric curcumin inhibits HCV entry independently of the genotype and in primary human hepatocytes by affecting membrane fluidity thereby impairing virus binding and fusion.

Abstract. Curcumin (CUR) has various pharmacological effects, but its extensive first-pass metabolism and short elimination half-life limit its bioavailability. Therefore, transdermal application has become a potential alternative to delivery CUR. To increase CUR solubility for the development of a transparent homogenous gel and also enhance the permeation rate of CUR into the skin, β-cyclodextrin-curcumin nanoparticle complex (BCD-CUR-N) was developed. CUR encapsulation efficiency was increased by raising the percentage of CUR to BCD up to 20%. The mean particle size of the best CUR loading formula was 156 nm. All evaluation data using infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffractometry, differential thermal analysis and scanning electron microscopy confirmed the successful formation of the inclusion complex. BCD-CUR-N increased the CUR dissolution rate of 10-fold (p< 0.01). In addition, the improvement of CUR permeability acrossed skin model tissue was observed in gel containing the BCD-CUR-N and was about 1.8-fold when compared with the free CUR gel (p<0.01). Overall, CUR in the form of the BCD-CUR-N improved the solubility further on the penetration of CUR.

The aim of this work is to develop a curcumin nanoemulsion for transdermal delivery. The incorporation of curcumin inside a nanoglobul should improve curcumin stability and permeability. A nanoemulsion was prepared by the self-nanoemulsification method, using an oil phase of glyceryl monooleate, Cremophor RH40 and polyethylene glycol 400. Evaluation of the nanoemulsion included analysis of particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, physical stability, Raman spectrum and morphology. In addition, the physical performance of the nanoemulsion in Viscolam AT 100P gel was studied. A modified vertical diffusion cell and shed snake skin of Python reticulatus were used to study the in vitro permeation of curcumin. A spontaneously formed stable nanoemulsion has a loading capacity of 350 mg curcumin/10 g of oil phase. The mean droplet diameter, polydispersity index and zeta potential of optimized nanoemulsion were 85.0 ± 1.5 nm, 0.18 ± 0.0 and -5.9 ± 0.3 mV, respectively. Curcumin in a nanoemulsion was more stable than unencapsulated curcumin. Furthermore, nanoemulsification significantly improved the permeation flux of curcumin from the hydrophilic matrix gel; the release kinetic of curcumin changed from zero order to a Higuchi release profile. Overall, the developed nanoemulsion system not only improved curcumin permeability but also protected the curcumin from chemical degradation.