Enhanced curcumin loaded nanocellulose: a possible inhalable nanotherapeutic to treat COVID-19

Abstract

Graphical abstract Nanocellulose/polyvinyl alcohol/curcumin (CNC/PVA/curcumin) nanoparticles with enhanced drug loading properties were developed by the dispersion of nanocellulose in curcumin/polyvinyl alcohol aqueous medium. Due to the physical and chemical nature of sulphuric acid hydrolyzed nanocellulose and the antiviral properties of curcumin, the possibility of using these nanoparticles as an inhalable nanotherapeutic for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is discussed. The adsorption of curcumin and PVA into nanocellulose, and the presence of anionic sulphate groups, which is important for the interaction with viral glycoproteins were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. FESEM images showed that the diameter of nanocellulose ranged from 50 to 100 nm, which is closer to the diameter (60–140 nm) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The solubility of poorly water-soluble curcumin was increased from 40.58 ± 1.42 to 313.61 ± 1.05 mg/L with increasing the PVA concentration from 0.05 to 0.8% (w/v) in aqueous medium. This is a significant increase in the solubility compared to curcumin’s solubility in carboxymethyl cellulose medium in our previous study. The drug loading capacity increased by 22-fold with the addition of 0.8% PVA to the nanocellulose dispersed curcumin solution. The highest drug release increased from 1.25 ± 0.15 mg/L to 17.11 ± 0.22 mg/L with increasing the PVA concentration from 0 to 0.8% in the drug-loaded medium. Future studies of this material will be based on the antiviral efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 and cell cytotoxicity studies. Due to the particulate nature, morphology and size of SARS-CoV-2, nanoparticle-based strategies offer a strong approach to tackling this virus. Hence, we believe that the enhanced loading of curcumin in nanocellulose will provide a promising nano-based solution for the treatment of COVID-19.

Therapeutic potential of curcumin in ARDS and COVID‐19

“… 59 The enhancement of curcumin's solubility will significantly improve drug loading in nanocellulose, and this curcumin presents a promising nano‐based approach for treating COVID‐19. 60 Silymarin, extracted from milk thistle, has a protective effect during lung injury because of its ability to decrease the production of nitric oxide and the infiltration of inflammatory cells. 61 Additionally, silymarin has recently been considered a potent inhibitor for ACE2, preventing its host‐cell entry.…”

An overview on nanoparticle-based strategies to fight viral infections with a focus on COVID-19

“…Nanocellulose/polyvinyl alcohol/curcumin (CNC/PVA/curcumin) NPs were produced as a nanotechnology treatment method with increased medicine loading for intranasal injection of antiviral agents SARS-CoV-2 infection. The results showed that the increased loading of curcumin in nanocellulose will supply an encouraging NPs-based solution for the therapy of SARS-CoV-2 infection [ 74 ]. In other studies, nano entrapped polyphenolic compounds were developed as a therapeutic agent against COVID-19.…”

Nanocellulose: Recent Advances Toward Biomedical Applications

“…Notably, curcumin‐loaded CNCs were proposed as a possible inhalable nano‐therapeutic for the treatment of the prevailing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) due to its potential inhibitory effects on the positively charged glycoproteins of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) virus. [ 144 ]…”