Synthesis, release ability and bioactivity evaluation of chitin beads incorporated with curcumin for drug delivery...

Spherical curcumin-incorporated chitin porous beads, with porosity exceeding 98%, were successfully fabricated by combining a coagulation method with freeze-drying. Tween 20 was used to enhance the solubility of curcumin in the chitin beads during the incorporation step. The internal pores and the outer non-porous shell structure of the chitin beads determined the curcumin-releasing behaviour: the internal porous structure could dramatically increase the uptake of the releasing medium, while the non-porous outer skin layer dominated the slow releasing behaviour of curcumin. In addition, the amount of Tween 20 also played an important role in the release characteristic of curcumin from the chitin matrix. Bioactivity evaluation of the obtained chitin beads was conducted by immersion in a simulated body fluid (SBF). It could be postulated the entrapment of curcumin into the cores of Tween 20 micelles encapsulated in the chitin shell could be a promising candidate for drug delivery devices.