Microencapsulation of herbal bioactive drug by Chlorella Vulgaris microalgae as a nano-formulation for drug delivery to cells

Curcumin (CUR) acts as a strong protector against various diseases, including HIV, cardiovascular infection, cancer, and neurological and skin diseases. CUR, a polyphenols with pharmacological function, was successfully encapsulated in algae (Alg) cell (Chlorella Vulgaris) as confirmed by fluorescence microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The effects of molar ratio, salutation, loading capacity, drug release rate, and selective toxicity were investigated in this study. After obtaining C. Vulgaris with entrapped CUR, this mixture was centrifuged and re-suspended in 10 mL of water along with the ultra-sonication. This step was carried out twice to remove methanol. Finally, the CUR-loaded C. Vulgaris was prepared to perform further experiments to determine the role of this algal species as a carrier. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that 83% of Chlorella microalga and 64% of CUR were destroyed at 600 °C. DPPH was used to evaluate CUR, which was more than 85% pure CUR. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectral data were derived from all samples, including the control C. Vulgaris, CUR, and CUR-loaded C. Vulgaris using a Perkin-Elmer Lambda 30 UV/VIS spectrophotometer (AH and Aysel 2003) in the 200-400 nm UV region. Then, the FTIR spectrums of the items mentioned above were determined using a Shimadzu IR-470 plus device and were plotted. This study provides an overview of an effective nano-formulation of CUR for a targeted treatment option for various human diseases. In conclusion, the data proved that the C. Vulgaris cell could be used as a new stable carrier for CUR.