Fabrication of Polymeric PAA, PVA, and PEI Nanoparticles Loaded with the Natural Antibacterial Component, Curcumin, and Their Effectiveness against Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Curcumin is a natural molecule that due to its various curative effects including antibacterial properties, it can be used as a medicine, albeit after reducing its disadvantages. The aim of the present study is to develop a method for preparation of nanoparticles of curcumin using PAA, PVA, and PEI polymers with a view to improve its stability, increasing bioavailability and aqueous solubility as well as study its effectiveness against methicillin-resistant to Staphylococcus aureus.

In order to synthesize polymeric nanoparticles including curcumin with the nano-precipitation method, optimizing the effective concentration of polymer, curcumin, and water were determined by using the Response Surface Method (RSM). Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and zeta potential measurement methods. Furthermore, minimal concentration inhibitory of synthesized nanoparticles against the Staphylococcus aureus resistant to methicillin was measured.

The created nanoparticles were round, discrete and smooth in surface morphology and the average particle size for PAA, PVA, and PEI were 149±7nm, 175±8nm, and 184±9nm respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration for PAA, PVA and PEI nanoparticles against the Staphylococcus aureus were 0.480±0.024, 0.390±0.019 and 0.340±0.017mg/ml. The concentration of solvent, polymer, and curcumin was important to obtain small size particles.

The results indicated that the water solubility of curcumin significantly improved by particle size reduction up to the nano range. The inhibitory property of curcumin nanoparticles has greatly increased due to the smaller particle size and their increased penetration into the bacteria and nanoparticles loaded with curcumin could be a promising drug carrier for the treatment of cancer, infections and other diseases.