Testing Solid Lipid Nanoparticles for Increased Bioavailability of Curcumin

Presenter

Abigail Phyllis Allworth

Group Members

Joss Kyrouz

Campus

Salem State University

Sponsor

Changqing Chen, Department of Chemistry and Physics, Salem State University

Schedule

Session 3, 1:30 PM - 2:15 PM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board A58, Campus Center Auditorium, Row 3 (A41-A60) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

Curcumin is one of the three curcuminoids found in turmeric, a plant used for seasoning, pigment and herbal medicine. The compound has shown potential health benefits such as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-microbial properties. Curcumin is also studied for its applications in detecting and treating Alzheimer's Disease (AD): as a fluorescent probe to monitor the presence of amyloid-beta plaques, a primary pathology of AD, and as a treatment to reduce the formation of amyloid-beta plaques. However, curcumin's reactivity and low solubility in water results in poor uptake in human bodies. Lipid-based formulations can be effective drug delivery systems for poorly water-soluble chemicals such as curcumin, but the solubility and encapsulation efficiency can vary depending on the formulation method. Our research aims to investigate nanolipid formulations for increased solubility and emulsification of curcumin in aqueous solutions. Various solid lipid nanoparticle formulations were tested for increased solubility of curcumin and stability over time. To quantitatively analyze formulated curcumin, a procedure was developed for in-vitro modeling of digestion, then concentration of curcumin suspended in solution over time was determined using UV-vis spectrometry. Our research would contribute to the development of optimal curcumin encapsulation to maximize its biological activity.

Keywords

Alzheimer's Disease, Natural Medicine, Nanoparticles, Drug Delivery, Curcumin

Research Area

Chemistry and Materials Science

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