A Review of Ten-year Citations to the Article Entitled: Beta Casein-Micelle as a Nano-Vehicle for the Solubility Enhancement of Curcumin; Food Industry Uses

Curcumin is an active ingredient in the powdered root of turmeric plants (Curcuma longa) from the ginger family and its yellow color and miraculous preventive and therapeutic characteristics have been used for many years. Identification of the structure of curcumin has always been interested by the scientists due to its low solubility, bioavailability and viability for its further uptake by the target cells. In 2011, the corresponding author of this study and his colleagues used camel milk beta-casein micelles to increase the solubility of curcumin in aqueous solvents by 2,500 times. Nowadays, the article has been cited more than 300 times internationally. These citations are linked to various carriers such as milk proteins and fats, bovine serum albumin, polyphenols, polyesters and polysaccharides, hydrogels, nanogels, nanoparticle self-assembled peptides and various protein transporters to enhance solubility and bioavailability of curcumin. In this study, these citations were reviewed and classified and their achievements were addressed.