Curcumin/Carrier Coprecipitation by Supercritical Antisolvent Route

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Pharmaceutical Technology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Curcumin (CURC) is a potent bioactive compound with limited bioavailability due to poor solubility.
• Encapsulation techniques are crucial for improving the delivery and efficacy of poorly soluble drugs like CURC.
• Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) are common carriers used to enhance drug solubility and stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)- and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD)-based composite powders containing curcumin (CURC) using the supercritical antisolvent (SAS) technique.
• To investigate the effects of process parameters (pressure, concentration, CURC/carrier ratio) on particle morphology and size.
• To evaluate the impact of SAS processing on the dissolution rate and complexation of CURC with PVP and β-CD.

Main Methods:

• Supercritical antisolvent (SAS) technique was employed for the precipitation of CURC/PVP and CURC/β-CD composite powders.
• Systematic variation of pressure, total concentration, and CURC/carrier molar ratios (CURC/PVP and CURC/β-CD) in dimethylsulfoxide.
• Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and Job method were used to characterize the CURC complexes and determine stoichiometry.
• Dissolution profiles of the prepared powders were compared to pure CURC.

Main Results:

• Optimal conditions for PVP carrier: 12.0 MPa, 20 mg/mL concentration, and 1/2 CURC/PVP molar ratio yielded spherical particles (1.72 μm).
• Optimal conditions for β-CD carrier: 9.0 MPa, 200 mg/mL concentration, and 1/2 or 1/1 CURC/β-CD molar ratios produced well-defined micrometric particles (2.98-3.69 μm).
• FT-IR analysis confirmed the presence of CURC in both CURC/PVP and CURC/β-CD composites.
• Job method indicated a 1/1 molar ratio for CURC/β-CD inclusion complex formation.
• SAS-processed powders demonstrated significantly improved dissolution rates compared to pure CURC.

Conclusions:

• The SAS technique is effective for producing CURC/PVP and CURC/β-CD composite powders with controlled morphology and size.
• Both PVP and β-CD carriers enhance the dissolution rate of curcumin, suggesting improved bioavailability.
• The study demonstrates the potential of SAS technology for developing advanced drug delivery systems for poorly soluble compounds like curcumin.