Discipline of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia.
Centre for Inflammation, Centenary Institute, Sydney, NSW, 2050, Australia.
Curr Pharm Des. 2021;27(1):2-14. doi: 10.2174/1381612826666200728151610.
Curcumin is a major curcuminoid present in turmeric. The compound is attributed to various therapeutic properties, which include anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-malarial, and neuroprotection. Due to its therapeutic potential, curcumin has been employed for centuries in treating different ailments. Curcumin has been investigated lately as a novel therapeutic agent in the treatment of cancer. However, the mechanisms by which curcumin exerts its cytotoxic effects on malignant cells are still not fully understood. One of the main limiting factors in the clinical use of curcumin is its poor bioavailability and rapid elimination. Advancements in drug delivery systems such as nanoparticle-based vesicular drug delivery platforms have improved several parameters, namely, drug bioavailability, solubility, stability, and controlled release properties. The use of curcumin-encapsulated niosomes to improve the physical and pharmacokinetic properties of curcumin is one such approach. This review provides an up-to-date summary of nanoparticle-based vesicular drug carriers and their therapeutic applications. Specifically, we focus on niosomes as novel drug delivery formulations and their potential in improving the delivery of challenging small molecules, including curcumin. Overall, the applications of such carriers will provide a new direction for novel pharmaceutical drug delivery, as well as for biotechnology, nutraceutical, and functional food industries.
姜黄素是姜黄中的主要姜黄素类化合物。该化合物具有多种治疗特性，包括抗氧化、抗炎、抗菌、抗疟疾和神经保护。由于其治疗潜力，姜黄在几个世纪以来一直被用于治疗各种疾病。最近，姜黄素已被研究作为治疗癌症的新型治疗剂。然而，姜黄素对恶性细胞发挥细胞毒性作用的机制仍不完全清楚。姜黄在临床应用中的主要限制因素之一是其生物利用度差和快速消除。药物传递系统的进步，如基于纳米粒子的囊泡药物传递平台，已经改善了几个参数，即药物生物利用度、溶解度、稳定性和控制释放特性。使用封装姜黄素的非离子表面活性剂囊泡来改善姜黄素的物理和药代动力学性质就是这样一种方法。本文综述了基于纳米粒子的囊泡药物载体及其治疗应用。具体来说，我们专注于非离子表面活性剂囊泡作为新型药物传递制剂及其在改善包括姜黄素在内的挑战性小分子药物传递方面的潜力。总之，这些载体的应用将为新型药物输送提供新的方向，以及生物技术、营养保健品和功能性食品行业。
