Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Preparation and Characterization of Lipophilic Doxorubicin Pro-drug Micelles
Published on: August 2, 2016
Preparation of curcumin self-micelle solid dispersion with enhanced bioavailability and cytotoxic activity by
Qihong Zhang1, Nikolay E Polyakov2, Yulia S Chistyachenko3
1a National Engineering Research Center for Process Development of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology , Hangzhou , PR China.
Abstract:
An amorphous solid dispersion (SD) of curcumin (Cur) with disodium glycyrrhizin (Na2GA) was prepared by mechanical ball milling. Curcumin loaded micelles were self-formed by Na2GA when SD dissolved in water. The physical properties of Cur SD in solid state were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction studies, and scanning electron microscope. The characteristics of the sample solutions were analyzed by reverse phase HPLC, UV-visible spectroscopy, 1H NMR spectroscopy, gel permeation LC, and transmission electron microscopy. In vitro cytotoxic tests demonstrated that Cur SD induced higher cytotoxicity against glioblastoma U-87 MG cells than free Cur. Besides, an improvement of membrane permeability of Cur SD was confirmed by parallel artificial membrane permeability assay. Further pharmacokinetic study of this SD formulation in rat showed a significant ∼19-fold increase of bioavailability as comparing to free Cur. Thus, Cur SD provide a more potent and efficacious formulation for Cur oral delivery.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Bioavailability Enhancement: Drug Solubility Enhancement
Bioavailability Enhancement: Drug Permeability Enhancement
Bioavailability Enhancement: Determination and Conceptual Approaches in Overcoming Bioavailability Problems
Bioavailability Enhancement: Drug Stability Enhancement and GI Retention
Molecular and Ionic Solids
Molecular Solids
Molecular crystalline solids, such as ice, sucrose (table sugar), and iodine, are solids that are composed of neutral molecules as their constituent units. These molecules are held together by weak intermolecular forces such as London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, or hydrogen bonds, which...
Network Covalent Solids
To break or to melt a covalent network solid, covalent bonds must be broken. Because covalent bonds are relatively strong, covalent network solids are typically...

