Abstract

NANO-CURCUMIN: A USEFUL CANDIDATE IN THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS

Vijaya Padwal*, Sachin Kothawade, Mansi Gardare, Santosh Waghmare and Dr. Hemant Kamble

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Abstract

Curcuma longa is a significant medicinal and spice plant in Asia. Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is a hydrophobic bioactive ingredient extracted from the rhizome of Curcuma longa. It has garnered considerable attention in recent years due to the breadth of its biological and pharmacological effects. However, its low solubility in water, low bioavailability, and rapid metabolism all pose significant limitations to its successful therapeutic applications. Thus, researchers have attempted to enhance curcumin's biological and pharmacological activity and overcome its disadvantages through the use of efficient delivery systems, most notably nanoencapsulation. Thus far, research efforts and data from the available literature indicate that nanoscale formulations of curcumin (Nanocurcumin) have a promising potential; they enhance all of curcumin's biological and pharmacological benefits in a way that was previously not possible. Numerous techniques have been developed for the synthesis of nanocurcumin, each with its own set of advantages and characteristics. Ionic gelation and antisolvent precipitation are the two most widely used and effective techniques. Numerous curcumin nanoformulations have been developed to increase curcumin delivery and thus overcome curcumin's low therapeutic efficacy. However, because the majority of curcumin nanoformulations remain at the concept stage, several questions and challenges remain before nanocurcumin can be recommended as a promising candidate for therapeutic applications. We discuss the various curcumin nanoformulations and their implications for various therapeutic applications, as well as the status of ongoing clinical trials and patents, in this review. Additionally, we discuss the research gap and future directions necessary to advance curcumin as a potential therapeutic candidate.

Keywords: Curcumin, curcuma longa, nanocurcumin, water solubility, bioavailability.