Curcumin-loaded nanocarriers for dermatological applications: current advances and biomedical implications

Topical drug delivery routes have long served as a primary therapeutic approach for treating various skin disorders. However, conventional formulations, like creams, ointments, and gels, have a number of drawbacks, such as systemic toxicity, short duration of action, low skin permeability, and drug instability. Through the advancement of innovative delivery carriers such solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carrier system, nanoemulsions, & transdermal patches, recent developments in nanotechnology have completely changed topical delivery. These technologies improve skin penetration, provide regulated release, and increase medication absorption. Furthermore, because of their excellent therapeutic results, tailored particle size, and high entrapment effectiveness, formulations such as cubosomes, nanogels, and microsponges are being investigated. The significant expansion of topical delivery platforms, particularly hydrogel-based and nanoemulgel formulations, is highlighted by biostatistics from 2023-2024. Novel delivery systems have shown considerable effectiveness in treating dermatological disorders such atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and eczema in clinical trials. Concurrently, the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial qualities of botanical substances such as curcumin, bolstered by improved delivery through liposomal and nanocurcumin formulations, have demonstrated encouraging outcomes. This review explored the advancement of nanotechnology-enabled topical and transdermal delivery platforms, their clinical use, technical developments, and the growing use of natural bioactives like curcumin in dermatological treatment are all thoroughly covered in this study. The combined results highlight how crucial novel formulations and delivery methods are to resolving issues with the skin barrier and enhancing patient outcomes. See also the graphical abstract(Fig. 1).