title: Curcumin nanoparticles improve the physicochemical properties of curcumin and effectively enhance its antioxidant and antihepatoma activities.
abstract: Curcumin (CUR), a natural polyphenol isolated from tumeric ( Curcuma longa ), has been documented to possess antioxidant and anticancer activities. Unfortunately, the compound has poor aqueous solubility, which results in poor bioavailability following high doses by oral administration. To improve the solubility of CUR, we developed a novel curcumin nanoparticle system (CURN) and investigated its physicochemical properties as well as its enhanced dissolution mechanism. Our results indicated that CURN improved the physicochemical properties of CUR, including a reduction in particle size and the formation of an amorphous state with hydrogen bonding, both of which increased the drug release of the compound. Moreover, in vitro studies indicated that CURN significantly enhanced the antioxidant and antihepatoma activities of CUR (P < 0.05). Consequently, we suggest that CURN can be used to reduce the dosage of CUR and improve its bioavailability and merits further investigation for therapeutic applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Fragrance and Cosmetics, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Feng-Lin
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: Tzu-Hui
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Cheng-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Tzeng
authors.forename: Liang-Tzung
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chun-Ching
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001682:Biological Availability; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D003474:Curcumin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004339:Drug Compounding / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D010316:Particle Size; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D003474:Curcumin