An electrospun fiber of polyvinyl(pyrrolidone) (PVP)-Tween 20 (T20) with curcumin as the encapsulated drug has been developed. A study of intermolecular interactions was performed using Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD).The Raman and FT-IR studies showed that curcumin preferrably interacted with T20 and altered PVP chain packing, as supported by XRD and physical stability data. The hydroxyl stretching band in PVP shifted to a lower wavenumber with higher intenstity in the presence of curcumin and PVP, indicating that hydrogen bond formation is more intense in a curcumin or curcumin-T20 containing fiber. The thermal pattern of the fiber did not indicate phase separation. The conversion of curcumin into an amorphous state was confirmed by XRD analysis. An in vitro release study in phosphate buffer pH 6.8 showed that intermolecular interactions between each material influenced the drug release rate. However, low porosity was found to limit the hydrogen bond-mediated release.Key words curcumin; fiber; electrospinning; interaction; porosity; polymeric drug delivery system Curcumin is the major constituent of turmeric rhizome (Curcuma sp.).1) Curcumin has a number of demonstrated pharmacological effects, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, hepatoprotective, 1) antimicrobial, and antiviral.
2)Clinical trials have proven that curcumin is well tolerated by the body, with a maximum dose of 12 g daily.3) Unfortunately, the efficacy of curcumin is limited by its poor solubility in water, as well as its instability under light, heat, and alkaline conditions.1) The solubility of curcumin in aqueous buffer (pH 5) is reported to be 11 ng/mL.3) Moreover, the absorption of curcumin in the gastrointestinal tract is very low, leading to poor bioavailability (in animals and humans).2) Therefore, designing an effective delivery system is necessary in order to address the limitations of curcumin use.
1-3)A wide range of drug delivery systems has been developed to improve the bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs, including fast-dissolving tablets, 4) incorporation into a hydrophilic complex, 1) micellization, and solid dispersion. 5) Electrospinning, a technique of producing thin strands of fiber using high voltage, has opened up opportunities in the development of drug delivery systems. An optimized electrospinning process can produce nano-sized fibers.
6)The high surface area and porosity of these electrospun fibers are advantageous in their use as carriers for poorly water-soluble drugs.5) The high surface area generally increases the dissolution rate of the incorporated drug, thus potentially enhancing its bioavailability.
5)Therefore, the incorporation of curcumin into an electrospun fiber is expected to improve its oral bioavailability.Tailoring a suitable drug-loaded fiber requires careful selection of materials, in addition to an optimized production process and environment. Generally, the drug is mixed with a polymer s...