The therapeutic potential of curcumin (Cur) is hampered by its poor aqueous solubility and low bioavailability. The aim of this study was to determine whether Cur nanoemulsions enhance the efficacy of Cur against prostate cancer cells and increase the oral absorption of Cur. Cur nanoemulsions were developed using the self-microemulsifying method and characterized by their morphology, droplet size and zeta potential. The results showed that the cytotoxicity and cell uptake were considerably increased with Cur nanoemulsions compared to free Cur. Cur nanoemulsions exhibited a significantly prolonged biological activity and demonstrated better therapeutic efficacy than free Cur, as assessed by apoptosis and cell cycle studies. In situ single-pass perfusion studies demonstrated higher effective permeability coefficient and absorption rate constant for Cur nanoemulsions than for free Cur. Our study suggested that Cur nanoemulsions can be used as an effective drug delivery system to enhance the anticancer effect and oral bioavailability of Cur.
Keywords: anticancer efficacy; curcumin; nanoemulsion; oral absorption; prostate cancer.