A Review on Curcumin-Loaded Electrospun Nanofibers and their Application in Modern Medicine

Abstract

Herbal drugs are safe and show significantly fewer side effects than their synthetic counterparts. Curcumin (an active ingredient primarily found in turmeric) shows therapeutic properties, but its commercial use as a medication is unrealized, because of doubts about its potency. The literature reveals that electrospun nanofibers show simplicity, efficiency, cost, and reproducibility compared to other fabricating techniques. Forcespinning is a new technique that minimizes limitations and provides additional advantages to electrospinning. Polymer-based nanofibers—whose advantages lie in stability, solubility, and drug storage—overcome problems related to drug delivery, like instability and hydrophobicity. Curcumin-loaded polymer nanofibers show potency in healing diabetic wounds in vitro and in vivo. The release profiles, cell viability, and proliferation assays substantiate their efficacy in bone tissue repair and drug delivery against lung, breast, colorectal, squamous, glioma, and endometrial cancer cells. This review mainly discusses how polymer nanofibers interact with curcumin and its medical efficacy.

Fabrication and characterization of polycaprolactone/chitosan nanofibers containing antibacterial agents of curcumin and ZnO nanoparticles for use as wound dressing

“…The Cur drug affects viscosity more than conductivity. This increased solution viscosity led to increased average fiber diameters by 130 ± 10 and 150 ± 15 nm for nanofibers with 1 and 3 wt% Cur, respectively (Mitra et al, 2022).…”

A review of past promises, present realities and a vibrant future for wound dressing from naturally occurring to sustainable materials

“…Drug delivery issues including instability and hydrophobicity are solved using polymer-based nanofibers whose benefits include stability, solubility, and drug storage. 36 This method uses solid materials or solutions that are melted into spinnerets and spun into nanofibers by centripetal forces. There is no need for solvent recovery because no solvent is used.…”

Functionalization of electrospun nanofiber for biomedical application

“…125 Curcumin nanofibers also support effective treatments of cancers and wound healing. 126 Some polymers used to make medical applications nanofibers include PU, PHBV, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), Bombyx mori silk, and zein silk. Owing to their fascinating features, PLA, poly(-caprolactone) (PCL), and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) seem to be the most usually utilized polymers to fabricate nanofibers.…”

“…One study reported that nanofibers combined with SiO 2 or SiO 2 ‐based nanoparticles promote diabetic wound repair by activating associated pathways 125 . Curcumin nanofibers also support effective treatments of cancers and wound healing 126 . Some polymers used to make medical applications nanofibers include PU, PHBV, poly(lactic‐ co ‐glycolic acid) (PLGA), Bombyx mori silk, and zein silk.…”