Nanoprecipitation and Spectroscopic Characterization of Curcumin-Encapsulated Polyester Nanoparticles

Abstract

Curcumin-encapsulated polyester nanoparticles (Cur-polyester NPs) of approximately 100 nm diameter with a negatively charged surface were prepared using a one-step nanoprecipitation method. The Cur-polyester NPs were prepared using polylactic acid, poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) and poly(ϵ-caprolactone) without any emulsifier or surfactant. The encapsulation of curcumin in these polyester NPs greatly suppresses curcumin degradation in the aqueous environment due to its segregation from water. In addition, the fluorescence of curcumin in polyester NPs has a quantum yield of 4 to 5%, which is higher than that of curcumin in micellar systems and comparable to those in organic solvents, further supporting the idea that the polyester NPs are capable of excluding water from curcumin. Furthermore, the results from femtosecond fluorescence upconversion spectroscopy reveal that there is a decrease in the signal amplitude corresponding to solvent reorganization of excited state curcumin in the polyester NPs compared with curcumin in micellar systems. The Cur-polyester NPs also show a lack of deuterium isotope effect in the fluorescence lifetime. These results indicate that the interaction between curcumin and water in the polyester NPs is significantly weaker than that in micelles. Therefore, the aqueous stability of curcumin is greatly improved due to highly effective segregation from water. The overall outcome suggests that the polyester NPs prepared using the method reported herein are an attractive system for encapsulating and stabilizing curcumin in the aqueous environment.

Production of Curcumin-Loaded Silk Fibroin Nanoparticles for Cancer Therapy

“…To improve its therapeutic efficiency, a great deal of research has been directed towards improvements in bioavailability. The literature describes several nanocarriers which improve the intra-cellular delivery of curcumin, including solid lipid nanoparticles [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ], natural [ 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ] or synthetic [ 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ] polymer-nanoparticles, and inorganic nanoparticles [ 39 , 40 ]. The main advantages of these nanoplatforms are their small size and large surface area, which allows the transport of the nanoparticles through the cell membrane [ 19 , 41 ].…”

Discovery of a new function of curcumin which enhances its anticancer therapeutic potency

“…For example, various kinds of chemical modification to CCM including polymer-conjugation have been performed 12 13 14 15 16 17 . Moreover, various types of nanomaterials including liposomes, polymeric micelles, and silica nanoparticles have been used as carrier materials for CCM 18 19 20 21 22 . In this context, we have adopted a supramolecular self-assembly approach to overcome these obstacles.…”

Optical Spectroscopic and Morphological Characterizations of Curcuminized Silk Biomaterials: A Perspective from Drug Stabilization

“… 14 , 28 , 32 , 62 , 63 Some recent reports proposed that polymeric nanoparticles can also be efficient to stabilize curcumin for a prolonged time. 37 , 38 But in the case of synthesized carrier systems, toxicity is always a matter of concern. Therefore, on the issues of biocompatibility and biodegradability, the natural proteins should be preferable for drug carrying and stability.…”

“…Here, the hydrophobic region shields curcumin from hydrolysis, and the outer hydrophilic layer stabilizes the system to remain soluble in the aqueous phase. 37 Therefore, large proteins with more hydrophobic domains appear to be suitable carrier systems for curcumin and also serve the purpose of stabilization. In this prospect, β-sheet rich SF should be an appropriate choice to study the concerned issues, and more importantly, silk-based natural polymeric fibroins are strategically more useful than synthetic polymeric materials because of some of its intrinsic properties and processing requirements.…”