Studies on the curcumin phospholipid complex solidified with Soluplus^®

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Materials Science

Background:

• Curcumin phospholipid complex (CPC) formulations often face challenges with poor flowability and low oral bioavailability.
• Soluplus® is a polymer known for its potential in drug delivery systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-performance curcumin phospholipid complex (CPC) formulation.
• To solidify CPC using Soluplus® to create a curcumin phospholipid complex - Soluplus® solidified powder (CSP).

Main Methods:

• Characterization of CPC and CSP using SEM, DSC, FTIR, and XRD.
• Evaluation of flowability, in-vitro dissolution, and oral bioavailability of the formulations.

Main Results:

• Solidification with Soluplus® converted curcumin from crystalline to amorphous state.
• Significant improvements in flowability (angle of repose to 37°), dissolution rates (76-78% released), and oral bioavailability (AUC0-∞ increased from 205.84 to 330.47 μg·h/ml) were observed.
• The process demonstrated a statistically significant (P < 0.01) increase in the area under the curve for the solidified powder.

Conclusions:

• A simple and convenient solidifying process using Soluplus® was successfully developed.
• This process effectively enhances the flowability and dissolution of the curcumin phospholipid complex.
• The formulation significantly increases the oral bioavailability of curcumin.