Development and Evaluation of Curcumin Liquid Crystal Systems for Cervical Cancer

Abstract

Curcumin is a hydrophobic compound with good anti-proliferative, anti-oxidative, and anti-cancer properties but has poor bioavailability. Liquid crystals (LC) can accommodate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs. The aim of this study was to formulate and evaluate a novel vaginal drug delivery system for cervical cancer using a curcumin LC system. The curcumin LC system was formulated using surfactant, glycerol, and water together with curcumin. Three types of surfactants were used to optimize the formulation, i.e., Tween 80, Cremphor EL, and Labrasol. The optimized formulations were subjected to physicochemical analysis, and their efficacy was evaluated in HeLa cells. The pH of the formulations was in the range of 3.91–4.39. Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) observations revealed spherical as well as hexagonal micelles. In vitro release of LC curcumin from vaginal simulated fluid (VSF, pH 4.5) showed a release from 20.47% to 87.25%. The IC50 of curcumin in HeLa cells was 22.5 μg/mL, while the IC25 and IC75 were 6.5 μg/mL and 35μg/mL, respectively. The cytotoxicity of the formulations was determined in comparison with liquid crystals without curcumin and pure curcumin by performing a t-test based on a significance level of p less than or equal to 0.05 (p ≤ 0.05). The curcumin LC system was able to release the required amount of drug and was effective against the cervical cancer cell line examined.

Systematic Patent Review of Nanoparticles in Drug Delivery and Cancer Therapy in the Last Decade

“…Like most of the other NPs, this type of nanoparticles can also undergo alteration or modification by linking suitable molecules to the surface for the betterment of drug delivery. Liquid crystals are suitable to release sufficient drug load to be effective against cervical cancer cell line [ 45 ].…”

Attapulgite and Graphene‐Based Molecular Imprinted Polymers as 5‐FU Delivery Systems for the Treatment of Cervical Cancer**

“…5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) as an antimetabolite for cancer treatment has been successfully used as an adjuvant drug therapy in the treatment of cervical cancer. [1,2] However, there are significant limitations to the emergence of drug resistance in the clinical use of 5-FU. It is soon metabolized in the body and it has toxicity to hematological, neurological, cardiological, gastrointestinal and dermatological reactions.…”

Lipid and Surfactant-Based Phytoformulation for Amelioration of Inflammation

“…Curcuminoids physicochemical characteristics, particularly its poor water solubility, bioavailability, and low stability, including photodegradation provide significant difficulties which restrict the therapeutic potential of conventional formulations containing curcuminoids [11]. These observations and drawbacks open the potential for the development of innovative curcuminoid delivery systems.…”