Curcumin as potential therapeutic natural product: a nanobiotechnological perspective

Abstract

Objectives Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems can resolve the poor bioavailability issue allied with curcumin. The therapeutic potential of curcumin can be enhanced by making nanocomposite preparation of curcumin with metal oxide nanoparticles, poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles and solid lipid nanoparticles that increases its bioavailability in the tissue. Key findings Curcumin has manifold therapeutic effects which include antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Curcumin can inhibit diabetes, heavy metal and stress-induced hypertension with its antioxidant, chelating and inhibitory effects on the pathways that lead to hypertension. Curcumin is an anticancer agent that can prevent abnormal cell proliferation. Nanocurcumin is an improved form of curcumin with enhanced therapeutic properties due to improved delivery to the diseased tissue, better internalization and reduced systemic elimination. Summary Curcumin has multiple pharmacologic effects, but its poor bioavailability reduces its therapeutic effects. By conjugating curcumin to metal oxide nanoparticles or encapsulation in lipid nanoparticles, dendrimers, nanogels and polymeric nanoparticles, the water solubility and bioavailability of curcumin can be improved and thus increase its pharmacological effectiveness.

Dose‐response assessment of chemically modified curcumin in experimental periodontitis

“…Considerable evidence indicates that natural curcumin has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-amyloidogenic properties 17,[24][25][26][27][28] represent a limitation as a potential orally-administered systemic medication. Synthetic curcumin analogues have been developed and tested to provide greater consistency in biological effects and to optimize the pharmacokinetic properties.…”

Boron and nitrogen co‐doped carbon dots as a sensitive fluorescent probe for the detection of curcumin

“…Figure 9 shows the absorption spectrum of curcumin, which has a significant spectral overlap with the fluorescence excitation or emission spectra of BNCDs, suggesting that the possible fluorescence quenching mechanisms between curcumin and BNCDs arises from the IFE. [40] Figure S5 displays the UV-vis absorption spectra of BNCDs (4), curcumin (1)(2)(3) and BNCDs with different concentrations of curcumin (8)(9)(10). Curve 5 was obtained by deducting the curve 1 from curve 8. and BNCDs has not occurred.…”

Improvement of Oral Bioavailability of Curcumin upon Microencapsulation with Methacrylic Copolymers

“…Due to the large therapeutic and commercial (nutraceutical) interest toward CUR, various strategies have been exploited and sometime marketed to make CUR more soluble and absorbable through the gut: along with the complete range of lipid- and polymer-based micro- and nanocarriers (micelles, liposomes, nanoparticles, SLN, etc.) (Dutta and Ikiki, 2013; Kurita and Makino, 2013; Prasad et al, 2014; Shome et al, 2016; Szymusiak et al, 2016), also chemically-driven solutions have been attempted, such as phytosomes (Kidd, 2009), molecular dispersions in hydrophilic polymers or gels, blending with adjuvants, up to chemical modifications to the molecule of the drug (Sehgal et al, 2011). Evidence of in vivo enhanced bioavailability in human subjects for a CUR nanoparticle formulation (Theracurmin ® ) has been recently reported (Kanai et al, 2012).…”

“…Furthermore, the drug is rapidly photodegraded by light, also limiting its clinical use (Cañamares et al, 2006; Kumavat et al, 2016). To overcome these drawbacks, different strategies of micro- and nano-encapsulation of CUR in lipid and polymeric matrices have been investigated (Anand et al, 2007; Bansal et al, 2011; Mohanty et al, 2012; Yallapu et al, 2012, 2014; Lee et al, 2014; Shome et al, 2016; Szymusiak et al, 2016). …”