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Curcumin/Tween 20-incorporated cellulose nanoparticles with enhanced curcumin solubility for nano-drug delivery: characterization and in vitro evaluation

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Abstract

A poorly water-soluble anticancer drug, curcumin was loaded into cellulose nanocrystals by dissolving it in a commonly used nonionic surfactant medium. Results showed that the drug loading capacity of nanocellulose increased with increasing the surfactant concentration of the medium. The drug loading capacity of nanocellulose in surfactant medium was significantly higher (7.73 mg/g) when compared to the drug loading capacity (3.35 mg/g) in methanolic medium. The nanocellulose drug loaded in surfactant medium (TW/CNC) showed higher drug release compared to the nanocellulose drug loaded in methanolic medium (METH/CNC). It was 8.99 mg/L for TW/CNC and 2.65 mg/L for METH/CNC in simulated gastric fluid. Due to the increased stability of curcumin in acidic medium, all the nanoparticles showed higher drug release in simulated gastric fluid compared to phosphate buffered saline solution. The maximum dissolution of curcumin was 2.13 mg/mL in distilled water containing 4% (w/v) of surfactant. UV–visible spectra revealed that the curcumin retained its chemical activity after in vitro release. From these findings, it is believed that the incorporation of curcumin into nanocellulose in surfactant medium provides a promising approach for delivery of curcumin to stomach and upper intestinal tract.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support from the Ministry of Education of Malaysia FRGS-FP053-2015A and PRGS-PR005-2017A and University of Malaya PG160-2016A, ST017-2018, GPF 033A-2018, RU018I-2016 and International Funding AUA Scholars IF025-2018 for the success of this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Yern Chee Ching & Thennakoon Mudiyanselage S. U. Gunathilake

  2. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Thennakoon Mudiyanselage S. U. Gunathilake & Cheng Hock Chuah

  3. University of Reading Malaysia, Persiaran Graduan, Kota Ilmu, Educity, 79200, Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia

    Kuan Yong Ching

  4. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Ramesh Singh

  5. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, 710, Tainan City, Taiwan, ROC

    Nai-Shang Liou

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  1. Yern Chee Ching
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Ching, Y.C., Gunathilake, T.M.S.U., Chuah, C.H. et al. Curcumin/Tween 20-incorporated cellulose nanoparticles with enhanced curcumin solubility for nano-drug delivery: characterization and in vitro evaluation. Cellulose 26, 5467–5481 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-019-02445-6

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