R. Kaur
Punjabi University Patiala,
India
Keywords: bioavailability, curcumin, nanoemulsions, turmeric, ultrasonication
Summary:
Turmeric, Curcuma longa Linn. (Zingiberaceae), has been used in folk medicine for over a century to treat respiratory disorders, hypertension, wounds, digestive disorders, hypercholesterolemia, and infectious disease. In addition to its antioxidant and antiproliferative properties, turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties, anti-angiogenic properties, and antimicrobial properties as well. Besides this, it is also used as a colouring agent in textiles, pharmaceuticals, confectionary, and cosmetics. As a versatile and sacred spice, it is also called "Golden herb" due to the bioactive compounds present in it. Curcuminoids are the most popular phenolic components in turmeric accounting for 3-5% of the total and possessing maximum biological and medicinal activity. Among the curcuminoids, curcumin (1,7-bis-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-phenyl)-hepta-1,6-diene-3,5-dione) accounts for 77%. Demethoxycurcumin accounts for 17%, and bisdemethoxycurcumin accounts for 3%. Turmeric, however, is severely limited in its therapeutic application due to its instability, low solubility, poor bioavailability, and rapid metabolism throughout the intestinal tract. New nanotechnological delivery systems, thereby may enhance curcumin's oral bioavailability. The present work aims to improve the efficacy of turmeric by preparing turmeric powder loaded nanoemulsions using ultrasonication Further, the prepared turmeric nanoemulsion was characterized in terms of average particle diameter, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, and entrapment efficiency (EE). The release of curcumin and its metabolites was also tested biochemically and further investigated using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Current findings suggest that encapsulated turmeric powder could be effective and promising tool for improving the bioavailability of curcumin.