SLS/βCD-curcumin nanosuspension: Preparation, characterization and pharmacological evaluation

Curcumin-based nanoformulations alleviate wounds and related disorders: A comprehensive review

Despite numerous advantages, curcumin's (CUR) low solubility and low bioavailability limit its employment as a free drug. CUR-incorporated nanoformulation enhances the bioavailability and angiogenesis, collagen deposition, fibroblast proliferation, reepithelization, collagen synthesis, neovascularization, and granulation tissue formation in different wounds. Designing nanoformulations with controlled-release properties ensure the presence of CUR in the defective area during treatment. Different nanoformulations encompassing nanofibers, nanoparticles (NPs), nanospray, nanoemulsion, nanosuspension, nanoliposome, nanovesicle, and nanomicelle were described in the present study comprehensively. Moreover, for some other systems which contain nano-CUR or CUR nanoformulations, including some nanofibers, films, composites, scaffolds, gel, and hydrogels seems the CUR-loaded NPs incorporation has better control of the sustained release, and thereby, the presence of CUR until the final stages of wound healing is more possible. Incorporating CUR-loaded chitosan NPs into nanofiber increased the release time, while 80% of CUR was released during 240 h (10 days). Therefore, this system can guarantee the presence of CUR during the entire healing period. Furthermore, porous structures such as sponges, aerogels, some hydrogels, and scaffolds disclosed promising performance. These architectures with interconnected pores can mimic the native extracellular matrix, thereby facilitating attachment and infiltration of cells at the wound site, besides maintaining a free flow of nutrients and oxygen within the three-dimensional structure essential for rapid and proper wound healing, as well as enhancing mechanical strength.

Curcumin nanoformulations for antimicrobial and wound healing purposes

The development and spread of resistance to antimicrobial drugs is hampering the management of microbial infectious and wound healing processes. Curcumin is the most active and effective constituent of Curcuma longa L., also known as turmeric, and has a very long and strong history of medicinal value for human health and skincare. Curcumin has been proposed as strong antimicrobial potentialities and many attempts have been made to determine its ability to conjointly control bacterial growth and promote wound healing. However, low aqueous solubility, poor tissue absorption and short plasma half-life due its rapid metabolism needs to be solved for made curcumin formulations as suitable treatment for wound healing. New curcumin nanoformulations have been designed to solve the low bioavailability problem of curcumin. Thus, in the present review, the therapeutic applications of curcumin nanoformulations for antimicrobial and wound healing purposes is described.

Preparation of Curcumin Nanosuspension with Gum Arabic as a Natural Stabilizer: Process Optimization and Product Characterization

Low aqueous solubility and poor bioavailability of curcumin have limited its application in various fields. One approach to address this issue is to formulate a nanosuspension that incorporates curcumin, which has been previously shown to exhibit remarkably improved solubility in comparison with that of a bare compound. In this study, the preparation process of curcumin nanosuspension was optimized with a median particle size as the outcome. Gum arabic was used as a natural polymeric surfactant and the suspension was formulated using high speed homogenization. Optimization results, realized via a response surface methodology, showed that a minimum median particle size (8.524 µm) could be attained under the following conditions: curcumin:gum arabic ratio of 1:6 g/g; homogenization speed of 8300 rpm and homogenization time of 40 min. Under these conditions, the particle size of obtained suspension was shown to be consistent for around seven days without major aggregation. The homogenization process could be scaled up to five times in terms of suspension volume. TEM also showed that curcumin nanoparticles had a nearly spherical shape and homogeneous structure with a size range of 40–80 nm.