Dendrosomal nano-curcumin; The novel formulation to improve the anticancer properties of curcumin

Curcumin is a hydrophobic polyphenol extracted from the plant curcuma longa with established anticancer properties. However, curcumin benefits have been impaired by its very low water solubility, low absorption, rapid metabolism and clearance from the body. Recently, nanotechnology promises to be helpful in development of drugs delivery systems by recent advances in macromolecular design of nanocarriers. In this review, we present the novel generation of nano-vehicles termed dendrosomes which are readily synthesized from esterification of oleic acid and polyethylene glycol residues. Dendrosomes efficiently encapsulate curcumin in a spherical micellar or polymersome structures which leads to increase aqueous solubility of this hydrophobic agent and higher bioavailability of curcumin. Anticancer potency of this nanoformulation was confirmed in different mouse and human cancer cells including fibrosarcoma, colon, glioblastoma, bladder, gastric, breast and hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and vivo. It has also demonstrated that this nano preparation has no cytotoxicity effects on normal cells. Finally, these results introduce dendrosomal curcumin as potent anti-tumor agent although further clinical examinations are needed.