title: Enhanced Bioavailability of Curcumin Nanoemulsions Stabilized with Phosphatidylcholine Modified with Medium Chain Fatty Acids.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Curcumin is a natural, oil-soluble polyphenolic compound with potent anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. In its free form, it is very poorly absorbed in the gut due to its very low solubility. The use of nanoemulsions as carrier is a feasible way for improving curcumin bioavailability. To this end, the choice of emulsifying agent for stabilizing the nanoemulsions is of the upmost importance for achieving a desired functionality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidycholine enriched (PCE) with medium chain fatty acids (42.5 mol %) in combination with glycerol as co-surfactant, were used for preparing oil-in water nanoemulsions coded as NEPC and NEPCE, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NEPCE displayed significantly smaller mean droplet size (30 nm), equal entrapment efficiency (100%), better droplet stability and suffered lower encapsulation efficiency loss (3%) during storage time (120 days, 4ºC) than NEPC. Bioavailability, measured in terms of area under the curve of curcumin concentration versus time, and maximum curcumin plasma concentration, was in general terms significantly higher for NEPCE than for NEPC, and for curcumin coarse aqueous suspension (CCS). Also, NEPCE produced significantly higher curcumin concentrations in liver and lung than NEPC and CCS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data support the role of phosphatidylcholine enriched with medium chain fatty acids to increase the bioavailability of nanoemulsions for therapeutic applications.
authors.affiliation: UNIDA, Instituto Tecnológico de Veracruz, M.A. de Quevedo 2779, Col. Formando Hogar, Veracruz, Ver. 91897, Mexico.
authors.forename: Angélica A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ochoa-Flores
authors.affiliation: UNIDA, Instituto Tecnológico de Veracruz, M.A. de Quevedo 2779, Col. Formando Hogar, Veracruz, Ver. 91897, Mexico.
authors.forename: Josafat A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hernández-Becerra
authors.affiliation: UNIDA, Instituto Tecnológico de Veracruz, M.A. de Quevedo 2779, Col. Formando Hogar, Veracruz, Ver. 91897, Mexico.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cavazos-Garduño
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Bioanalisis, Universidad Veracruzana, Carmen Serdan S/N, Veracruz, Ver. 91700, Mexico.
authors.forename: Ida
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Soto-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Bioanalisis, Universidad Veracruzana, Carmen Serdan S/N, Veracruz, Ver. 91700, Mexico.
authors.forename: Maria Guadalupe
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Otero
authors.affiliation: Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Iztapalapa, Depto. Ing. Procesos & Hidráulica, Mexico City 09340, Mexico.
authors.forename: Eduardo J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Vernon-Carter
authors.affiliation: UNIDA, Instituto Tecnológico de Veracruz, M.A. de Quevedo 2779, Col. Formando Hogar, Veracruz, Ver. 91897, Mexico.
authors.forename: Hugo S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: García
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001682:Biological Availability; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004655:Emulsions / Q000737:chemistry; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D053758:Nanoparticles; D010316:Particle Size; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004655:Emulsions; D005227:Fatty Acids; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D003474:Curcumin
keywords: Bioavailability; curcumin; enriched phosphatidylcholine; medium chain fatty acids; nanoemulsions; ultrasonication