Prospects of Curcumin Nanoformulations in Cancer Management

Abstract

There is increasing interest in the use of natural compounds with beneficial pharmacological effects for managing diseases. Curcumin (CUR) is a phytochemical that is reportedly effective against some cancers through its ability to regulate signaling pathways and protein expression in cancer development and progression. Unfortunately, its use is limited due to its hydrophobicity, low bioavailability, chemical instability, photodegradation, and fast metabolism. Nanoparticles (NPs) are drug delivery systems that can increase the bioavailability of hydrophobic drugs and improve drug targeting to cancer cells via different mechanisms and formulation techniques. In this review, we have discussed various CUR-NPs that have been evaluated for their potential use in treating cancers. Formulations reviewed include lipid, gold, zinc oxide, magnetic, polymeric, and silica NPs, as well as micelles, dendrimers, nanogels, cyclodextrin complexes, and liposomes, with an emphasis on their formulation and characteristics. CUR incorporation into the NPs enhanced its pharmaceutical and therapeutic significance with respect to solubility, absorption, bioavailability, stability, plasma half-life, targeted delivery, and anticancer effect. Our review shows that several CUR-NPs have promising anticancer activity; however, clinical reports on them are limited. We believe that clinical trials must be conducted on CUR-NPs to ensure their effective translation into clinical applications.

Next-Generation Hydrogels as Biomaterials for Biomedical Applications: Exploring the Role of Curcumin

“…There are several approaches to improve the solubility and stability of curcumin, including encapsulating curcumin in lipid carriers and binding to nanoparticles (NPs). , As of late, a complex series of nanotechnology and polymer biomaterials have spoken to the development of more common golden methods . Nanoformulations are used as curcumin delivery systems including polymeric NPs, liposomes, hydrogels, nanoemulsions, nanofibers, lipid transferors, and membranes of polymer mixtures. ,, The advanced curcumin delivery system can increase efficiency, solubility, and bioavailability as well as raising blood half-life, and reduce deterioration rate . Currently, a mixed synthetic and natural polymer hybrid nanocomposite hydrogel film is introduced as a new drug delivery method for biomedical applications This system is mainly used for cancer diagnosis and treatment due to its satisfactory spontaneous properties and biological compatibility, low cost, and the sustained release of the biological materials (Table ).…”

“…50−59 Numerous preclinical studies have proven curcumin to be effective in several cancers because of curcumin's capability to induce G2/M cell cycle arrest, trigger apoptosis, induce autophagy, disturb molecular signal-ing, inhibit invasion and metastasis, and increase the efficiency of existing chemotherapeutics. 60,61 The inflammatory response of curcumin is often steered by the radical production of proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). 62,63 Consequently, the downregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines may effectively reduce the incidence of inflammation.…”

“…Later on, several scientists developed methods for high yield synthesis of curcumin which are in use today . Curcumin is the most widely used plant-based drug with various pharmacological benefits, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-parasite, and anti-cancer. − Numerous preclinical studies have proven curcumin to be effective in several cancers because of curcumin’s capability to induce G2/M cell cycle arrest, trigger apoptosis, induce autophagy, disturb molecular signaling, inhibit invasion and metastasis, and increase the efficiency of existing chemotherapeutics. , The inflammatory response of curcumin is often steered by the radical production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). , Consequently, the downregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines may effectively reduce the incidence of inflammation . Curcumin is also involved in other signaling pathways like it induces degranulation in human neutrophils by increasing the cell surface expression of clusters of differentiation 35 (CD35), CD66b, and CD63 .…”

Hyaluronic Acid–Zein Core-Shell Nanoparticles Improve the Anticancer Effect of Curcumin Alone or in Combination with Oxaliplatin against Colorectal Cancer via CD44-Mediated Cellular Uptake

“…However, poor solubility, pH sensitivity, and rapid metabolism of CUR result in its low bioavailability, thus limiting its value in clinical applications [ 11 ]. Various delivery strategies have been proposed to increase the bioavailability of CUR, and significant progress has been made in the development of CUR-encapsulated nanoformulations, which hold great promise for overcoming some of the above-mentioned limitations [ 12 , 13 ]. In this regard, biocompatible and biodegradable natural macromolecules, such as polysaccharides and proteins, have been widely used as key components of the formulations owing to their generally high safety profiles [ 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”

An esterase-activatable curcumin prodrug for tumor-targeting therapy

“…Curcumin (Cur) is a promising natural anti-tumor drug, which has therapeutic potential for a variety of cancers, including breast, oral, esophageal, gastric, cervical and so on. [12][13][14] Due to its low intrinsic toxicity, Cur has attracted more and more attention. [15][16][17] However, Cur is extremely unstable under alkaline conditions due to the oxidation of its phenolic groups.…”