Nanonization of curcumin by antisolvent precipitation: process development, characterization, freeze drying and...

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Curcumin, a natural compound, has limited bioavailability due to poor solubility and stability.
• Nanoparticle formulations offer a promising approach to enhance curcumin's therapeutic efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the antisolvent precipitation method for preparing curcumin nanoparticles.
• To control nanoparticle characteristics, including size, morphology, and solid-state properties.
• To evaluate the in vitro drug release and stability of the developed curcumin nanoparticles.

Main Methods:

• Antisolvent precipitation was employed for nanoparticle synthesis.
• Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used for particle size and morphology analysis.
• High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) were utilized for characterization.

Main Results:

• Curcumin nanoparticles with diameters ranging from 100-200 nm were successfully prepared.
• The nanoparticles exhibited a high drug load and contained curcumin in an amorphous state.
• Gelatin as a stabilizer allowed control over particle size and morphology.
• Lyophilized nanoparticles with d-sorbitol demonstrated good redispersibility and a fourfold increase in in vitro release rate compared to unprocessed curcumin.
• The nanoparticles showed stability for up to six months under various storage conditions.

Conclusions:

• Antisolvent precipitation is a viable method for producing amorphous curcumin nanoparticles.
• Particle characteristics can be effectively controlled by optimizing process parameters and stabilizers.
• The developed nanoparticle formulation significantly enhances curcumin's in vitro release profile and stability, suggesting improved therapeutic potential.