Design and characterization of nanoparticles as platforms for delivery of curcumin

Curcumin, the yellow powder derived from the plant Curcuma Longa, exhibited numerous therapeutic applications against wide range of chronic diseases such as diabetes, pancreatitis, arthritis, neurodegenerative diseases and various types of cancer. The mechanism of antineoplastic activity of curcumin is through modulation of cell signaling pathways, mainly blockage of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation and induction of apoptosis in different types of human cancer cell lines, associated with excellent safety profile. Despite the numerous advantages, the clinical realization of curcumin potential is limited because of its extremely low aqueous solubility and bioavailability after oral administration. An intriguing strategy to overcome these limitations is the design of nanosized vehicles for efficient delivery of curcumin. The present contribution is focused on newly-synthetized PEGylated tert-butylcalix[4]arene, used for preparation of various platforms for delivery of curcumin, such as inclusion complexes, supramolecular aggregates and hybrid liposomal systems. Curcumin:CX[4]PEG inclusion complexes as well as curcumin loaded polyoxyethylatedtert-buthylcalix[4]arene supramolecular aggregates were prepared using two methods: heating method and solvent-evaporation method. Free and formulated curcumin were additionally investigated for apoptogenic activity and cytotoxicity against human tumor cell lines