Evaluation of physiochemical properties of curcumin-loaded Chitosan Tripolyphosphate Nanoparticles

Curcumin is a water-insoluble agent with some anticancer and antimicrobial effects; while, solubility is essential for a medicine to reach target cells. This study set out to use chitosan tripolyphosphate nanoparticles (CTN) for making curcumin water-soluble, and delivering the required dosage of it to target cells.
In this study, the nanoparticles were fabricated from chitosan and tripolyphosphate using the ionotropic gelation method. The emulsified solution of curcumin was also loaded during the fabrication of CTNs. Then, the size and loaded amount of the nanoparticles were measured with a zeta potential analyzer; in addition, the shape and size of them were evaluated through atomic-force microscopy. Moreover, the amount of drug loaded chitosan nanoparticles was measured, using a spectrophotometer.
According to zeta analyzer results, the size and charge of the curcumin-contained chitosan tripolyphosphate nanoparticles were 165±5 nm and ±2 mV, respectively. According to the AFM findings, the obtained nanoparticles had spherical shape. Spectrophotometer showed that the curcumin loaded into tripolyphosphate nanoparticles was 67±1%.
Our study suggests that a significant amount of water-soluble curcumin can be loaded into CTNs using ionotropic gelation method.