Assessment of oral bioavailability of nanocapsules loaded-curcumin in-vivo

Curcumin, a hydrophobic polyphenol found in rhizome of turmeric (curcuma longa) is one of the generally used spice in Asian countries. It has been found through studies that it has numerous health promoting properties and is proved to have curative properties as it possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Due to low oral bioavailability, decreased solubility, quick metabolism and removal from body, it is challenging to achieve maximum benefits from it. This study was aimed to enhance curcumin oral bioavailability by making use of nanoencapsulation technique. Biodegradable nanocapsules were prepared by consecutive addition of food grade polyelectrolytes including OSA-modified starch (PGU), as an emulsifier, chitosan and sodium-carboxymethylcellulose by ultrasonication technique using primary nanoemulsion as template. Results showed that the mean droplet diameter of nanocapsules was 160.57 ± 1.06 nm, the average PDI was 0.14 ± 0.01 and average charge was recorded as -24.43 ± 0.49 mV. Microscopy results showed that the nanostructures were spherical in shape having mean droplet diameter below 200nm. The nanocapsules assessment as a carrier in enhancing the in vivo oral bioavailability of curcumin was made; however, further studies and better tools are needed to clearly know the potential of developed nanosystem.