Marine- and Plant-Based Nanoemulsion Platforms Enhance the Anticancer Activity of Curcumin In Vitro

Curcumin is a natural bioactive compound with demonstrated anticancer activity. However, its poor aqueous solubility and limited bioavailability constrain its therapeutic utility. This study formulated nanoemulsions using marine (salmon oil) and plant (rapeseed oil) lipids to enhance the solubility and delivery of curcumin. The fatty acid profiles and lipid class distributions of both lipid sources were characterized. The resulting nanoemulsions prepared from salmon and rapeseed oils exhibited mean droplet diameters of approximately 170 nm and 220 nm, respectively, and remained physically stable for 30 days at 25 °C. Notably, curcumin-loaded nanoemulsions displayed smaller droplet sizes than their unloaded counterparts, suggesting strong curcumin-lecithin interactions. In vitro cytotoxicity assays demonstrated that the curcumin-loaded nanoemulsions significantly reduced the proliferation of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells (p < 0.001). Collectively, these findings indicate that lipid-based nanoemulsions represent a promising delivery platform for curcumin in the context of breast cancer therapy.