Evaluation of High-Performance Curcumin Nanocrystals for Pulmonary Drug Delivery Both In Vitro and In Vivo

Abstract

This paper focused on formulating high-performance curcumin spray-dried powders for inhalation (curcumin-DPIs) to achieve a high lung concentration. Curcumin-DPIs were produced using wet milling combined with the spray drying method. The effects of different milling times on particle size and aerodynamic performance were investigated. The curcumin-DPIs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and in vitro dissolution. Furthermore, the in vivo pharmacokinetic behavior and tissue distribution after pulmonary administration were also evaluated. Results showed that the drug dissolution was significantly enhanced by processing into curcumin-DPIs. The aerodynamic results indicated that the DPIs displayed a good aerosol performance. The plasma curcumin concentration was obviously enhanced by inhalation, and most of the curcumin-DPIs were deposited in the lung. This study demonstrated that inhalation was an effective way to carry drug to the lung, and curcumin-DPIs were hopeful for lung cancer treatment in the future.

Curcumin Nanocrystals: Production, Physicochemical Assessment, and In Vitro Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Effects against Bacterial Loading of the Implant Fixture

“…The prepared curcumin nanocrystals exhibited the lower PXRD peak intensities compared with the bulk curcumin (in references), suggesting the lower crystallinity and the smaller sizes [33], which was consistent with our SEM results (Figure 1C).…”

“…A magnetic stirrer was used to keep the suspension homogenized. Dried curcumin nanocrystals were collected in small bottles and maintained in separate desiccators for further study [32,33].…”

“…During spray drying, the nanocrystals were sprayed in the form of many small droplets and each droplet contained many fine particles. These particles aggregated together after the water evaporated instantly, and the aggregates were hard to break into individual particles [33].…”

“…A sharp band at about 3500 cm −1 and a broad peak at 3200-3500 cm −1 in the spectrum have been attributed to the -OH group stretching vibration [36]. It could be determined that spray drying did not alternate the chemical compositions of curcumin [33].…”