Fast-dissolving antioxidant curcumin/cyclodextrin inclusion complex electrospun nanofibrous webs.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Food Science

Background:

• Curcumin is a natural antioxidant with poor water solubility.
• Developing orally fast-dissolving curcumin formulations is challenging.
• Cyclodextrin complexation can improve curcumin's solubility and bioavailability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create fast-dissolving nanofibrous webs of curcumin/cyclodextrin inclusion complexes.
• To evaluate the impact of Hydroxypropyl-beta-Cyclodextrin (HP-β-CyD) and Hydroxypropyl-gamma-Cyclodextrin (HP-γ-CyD) on curcumin's properties.
• To develop an orally fast-dissolving antioxidant food supplement.

Main Methods:

• Electrospinning technique to produce curcumin/cyclodextrin inclusion complex nanofibrous webs.
• Characterization of fiber morphology and diameter.
• Phase solubility tests and dissolution/disintegration tests in water and artificial saliva.
• Assessment of antioxidant activity.

Main Results:

• Uniform nanofibrous webs with average diameters of ~200 nm (HP-β-CyD) and ~900 nm (HP-γ-CyD) were successfully produced.
• Curcumin solubility and dissolution rates were significantly improved by both HP-β-CyD and HP-γ-CyD complexation.
• Curcumin's antioxidant effect was enhanced due to improved solubility.
• HP-γ-CyD demonstrated superior efficacy compared to HP-β-CyD in enhancing curcumin's solubility and antioxidant properties.

Conclusions:

• Electrospun curcumin/cyclodextrin nanofibrous webs are effective for orally fast-dissolving antioxidant food supplements.
• HP-γ-CyD is more effective than HP-β-CyD in improving curcumin's water solubility and antioxidant activity.
• The developed nanofibrous webs preserve curcumin integrity during processing.