Curcumin is a hydrophobic drug gaining growing attention because of its high availability, its innocuity, and its anticancer, antitumoral, and antioxidative activity. However, its poor bioavailability in the human body, caused by its low aqueous solubility and fast degradation, presents a big hurdle for its oral administration. Here, we used nano-vesicles made of phospholipids to carry and protect curcumin in its membrane. Various curcumin amounts were encapsulated in the produced phospholipid system to form drug-loaded liposomes. Curcumin's concentration was evaluated using UV-visible measurements. The maximal amount of curcumin that could be added to liposomes was assessed. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses were used to determine curcumin's interactions and localization within the phospholipid membrane of the liposomes. X-ray scattering (SAXS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments were performed to characterize the membrane structure and organization, as well as its mechanical properties at the nanoscale. Conservation of the membrane's properties is found with the addition of curcumin in various amounts before saturation, allowing the preparation of a defined nanocarrier with desired amounts of the drug.
Keywords: curcumin; drug-phospholipid interaction; liposomes; nanoscale characterization.