Characterization and in vitro investigation of the curcumin-loaded oil encapsulated polysaccharide (seaweed extracts) particulate formulation for enhanced oral bioavailability

Abstract

Curcumin (CUR), a yellow-orange polyphenol, originated from turmeric, is widely utilized as food colouring agent and spice. With CUR possessing a myriad of properties such as antioxidant, antiproliferation, antiangiogenic and anti-inflammatory response, it is a potential drug for many diseases such as heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s. Despite these excellent pharmacodynamic and biological activities, the therapeutic potentials are impeded due to its various factors such as poor bioavailability, rapid hydrolytic degradation and low solubility. In order to overcome these restrictions and enhance the bioavailability of CUR, a novel CUR-loaded microparticle was formulated using Kappa-Carrageenan (KC) and Medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). KC is a natural polysaccharide obtained from edible red seaweeds. It is non-toxic, biocompatible, and abundantly available. MCT on the other hand, is a non-volatile edible oil derived from palm kernel and coconut oil. It has been used widely in dietary foods as it provides rapid energy conversion and calorie burning. Lipids such as MCT have shown to enhance the absorption of poorly soluble compounds such as CUR by enhancing solubilization by alternating their structural compositions. CUR-MCT-KC beads were synthesized via the oil-in-water single emulsion technique, followed by air-drying of the beads. The characterizations of CUR-MCT-KC beads were further conducted using approaches such as the FTIR, SEM, TGA, DSC, and UV-visible spectrometer. In addition, the in-vitro experiments showed an increase in bioavailability of CUR when encapsulated in a lipid-based delivery of MCT and KC, as compared to unformulated CUR. There was also a tremendous increase in the encapsulation efficiency of CUR-MCT-KC formulation when the MCT concentration was increased with reduced KC concentration. In addition, the drug delivery profile of CUR-MCT-KC has revealed its gastric resistance as rapid intestinal digestion, making it an appropriate delivery system for oral administration of hydrophobic drugs. This novel formulation possesses promising potentials for oral delivery of other poorly soluble compounds with good encapsulation efficiency. The research findings demonstrated CUR-MCT-KC delivery system is an ideal candidate with potential applications in functional dietary supplements, foods, and pharmaceutical industries.