Curcumin Encapsulation in Aluminum Fumarate Metal-Organic Frameworks for Enhanced Stability and Antioxidant Activity

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Curcumin exhibits potent antioxidant properties but suffers from poor solubility, low bioavailability, and instability, limiting its therapeutic use.
• Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offer tunable structures ideal for drug encapsulation and delivery.
• Aluminum fumarate MOF (AlMOF) is explored as a potential carrier for curcumin.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the encapsulation of curcumin within AlMOF using a wet impregnation technique.
• To evaluate the impact of AlMOF encapsulation on curcumin's stability and antioxidant activity.
• To assess the potential of MOF-curcumin systems as enhanced therapeutic agents.

Main Methods:

• Curcumin was loaded into AlMOF via wet impregnation.
• Curcumin degradation was monitored over time for both free curcumin and AlMOF-encapsulated curcumin.
• Antioxidant activity of free curcumin and AlMOF-curcumin was compared.

Main Results:

• AlMOF successfully encapsulated curcumin, significantly enhancing its stability.
• Degradation of curcumin decreased from 58.9% after 3 days to 16% after 10 days when encapsulated in AlMOF.
• The antioxidant activity of curcumin was substantially boosted when incorporated into the AlMOF system.

Conclusions:

• AlMOF encapsulation effectively improves curcumin's stability and antioxidant efficacy.
• MOF-curcumin systems show promise for overcoming curcumin's limitations, enhancing its therapeutic potential.
• Further research into MOF-curcumin systems is warranted for advanced therapeutic applications.