Development and characterization of electrosprayed nanoparticles for encapsulation of Curcumin

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Curcumin is a potent herbal anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent.
• Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) is a biocompatible and GRAS polymer suitable for drug delivery.
• Developing effective delivery systems for curcumin is crucial for its therapeutic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare and characterize curcumin-loaded PLGA nanoparticles using electrospraying.
• To investigate the morphology and size of the nanoparticles.
• To analyze the release kinetics and mechanism of curcumin from the nanoparticles.

Main Methods:

• Electrospraying of different concentrations of PLGA solutions with and without curcumin.
• Morphological evaluation using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
• Surface analysis using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
• Curcumin release studies and kinetic analysis using Weibull, Peppas, and modified Korsmeyer-Peppas models.

Main Results:

• Spherical PLGA nanoparticles with average sizes of 300 nm (neat) and 320 nm (curcumin-loaded) were successfully prepared.
• Curcumin-loaded nanoparticles exhibited a moderate initial burst release followed by a prolonged release profile.
• The nanoparticles possessed a high specific surface area and spherical geometry.

Conclusions:

• Electrospraying is an effective technique for producing curcumin-loaded PLGA nanoparticles.
• The developed nanoparticles show potential for controlled curcumin delivery.
• Further studies can explore the therapeutic efficacy of these curcumin-loaded nanoparticles.