title: Development of highly stabilized curcumin nanoparticles by flash nanoprecipitation and lyophilization.
abstract: The influence of critical operating parameters on the Flash Nanoprecipitation (FNP) and resulting material properties of curcumin (CUR) nanoparticles has been evaluated using a confined impinging jets-with-dilution mixer (CIJ-D-M). It has been shown that the mixing rate, molecular weight of polymeric stabilizer (i.e., polyethylene glycol-b-poly(dl-lactide) di-block copolymer; PEG-PLA) and drug-to-copolymer mass ratio all exert a significant impact on the particle size and stability of the generated nanosuspensions. The attainable mean particle size and span of the nanoparticles through optimization of these process parameters were approximately 70nm and 0.85 respectively. However, the optimized nanosuspension was only stable for about two hours after preparation. Co-formulation with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) substantially extended the product lifespan to 5days at ambient conditions and two weeks at 4°C. Results from zeta potential measurement and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) suggested that the enhanced stability is probably due to the formation of an additional protective barrier by PVP around the particle surface, thereby suppressing the dissociation of PEG-PLA from the particles and preventing CUR leakage from inside. Long-term storage stability (>1year) could be achieved by lyophilization of the optimized nanosuspension with Kleptose (hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin), which was shown to be the only effective lyoprotectant among all the ones tested for the CUR nanoparticles. At an optimal concentration of Kleptose (1.25% w/v), the redispersibility (Sf/Si; ratio of the final and initial particle sizes) and encapsulation efficiency of lyophilized CUR nanoparticles were about 1.22% and 94%, respectively.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong; Research & Development Department, Jacobson Group Management Limited, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Shing Fung
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Ka Yee
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Kwok Kin
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Chengdu Green Energy and Green Manufacturing Technology R&D Center, Sichuan, PR China; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Ka Wai
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.
authors.forename: Changquan Calvin
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Larry
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baum
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong. Electronic address: albert-chow@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Albert Hee Lum
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Chow
mesh_terms: D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; D003474:Curcumin / Q000737:chemistry*; D004355:Drug Stability; D004867:Equipment Design; D005612:Freeze Drying; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: C542623:monomethoxypolyethyleneglycol-polylactide block copolymer; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D003474:Curcumin
keywords: Atomic force microscopy; Co-stabilizer; Confined impinging jets-with-dilution mixer; Curcumin nanoparticles; Flash nanoprecipitation; Lyophilization; Stability; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy