Enhanced Bioavailability of Curcumin Nanoemulsions Stabilized with Phosphatidylcholine Modified with Medium Chain Fatty Acids

Title:Enhanced Bioavailability of Curcumin Nanoemulsions Stabilized with Phosphatidylcholine Modified with Medium Chain Fatty Acids

Volume: 14 Issue: 3

Author(s): Angélica A. Ochoa-Flores, Josafat A. Hernández-Becerra, Adriana Cavazos-Garduño, Ida Soto-Rodríguez, Maria Guadalupe Sanchez-Otero, Eduardo J. Vernon-Carter and Hugo S. García*

Affiliation:

• UNIDA, Instituto Tecnológico de Veracruz, M.A. de Quevedo 2779, Col. Formando Hogar, Veracruz, Ver. 91897,Mexico

Keywords: Bioavailability, curcumin, enriched phosphatidylcholine, medium chain fatty acids, nanoemulsions, ultrasonication.

Abstract: Background: Curcumin is a natural, oil-soluble polyphenolic compound with potent anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. In its free form, it is very poorly absorbed in the gut due to its very low solubility. The use of nanoemulsions as carrier is a feasible way for improving curcumin bioavailability. To this end, the choice of emulsifying agent for stabilizing the nanoemulsions is of the upmost importance for achieving a desired functionality.

Methods: Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidycholine enriched (PCE) with medium chain fatty acids (42.5 mol %) in combination with glycerol as co-surfactant, were used for preparing oil-in water nanoemulsions coded as NEPC and NEPCE, respectively.

Results: NEPCE displayed significantly smaller mean droplet size (30 nm), equal entrapment efficiency (100%), better droplet stability and suffered lower encapsulation efficiency loss (3%) during storage time (120 days, 4ºC) than NEPC. Bioavailability, measured in terms of area under the curve of curcumin concentration versus time, and maximum curcumin plasma concentration, was in general terms significantly higher for NEPCE than for NEPC, and for curcumin coarse aqueous suspension (CCS). Also, NEPCE produced significantly higher curcumin concentrations in liver and lung than NEPC and CCS.

Conclusion: These data support the role of phosphatidylcholine enriched with medium chain fatty acids to increase the bioavailability of nanoemulsions for therapeutic applications.

Cite this article as:

Ochoa-Flores A. Angélica , Hernández-Becerra A. Josafat, Cavazos-Garduño Adriana , Soto-Rodríguez Ida , Sanchez-Otero Guadalupe Maria, Vernon-Carter J. Eduardo and García S. Hugo*, Enhanced Bioavailability of Curcumin Nanoemulsions Stabilized with Phosphatidylcholine Modified with Medium Chain Fatty Acids, Current Drug Delivery 2017; 14 (3) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1567201813666160919142811