Mucoadhesive curcumin crosslinked carboxy methyl cellulose might increase inhibitory efficiency for liver cancer treatment.

Curcumin is a more efficient polyphenol than many chemotherapeutics. It can inhibit many signaling pathways at the same time resulting in modulation and down regulation for many oncogenic activities, tumor suppressor genes, several transcription factors and their signaling pathways. However it is still not employed as a potential therapeutic tool for cancer treatment. This is due to its hydrophobicity, its hypersensitivity and its poor adsorption. Many trials have been applied for encapsulating curcumin as a delivery system thinking to save its biological benefits. In our recent work, encapsulated curcumin was successfully used to produce bio cross-linkers for mucoadhesive polymer forming multi branched or flower like shape. Moreover, this strategy is not used only to save its biological function, but also to provide a novel bio cross-linker for hydrogel system. This study was investigated by using scanning electron microscopy, FTIR, U-V Visible Spectroscopy. Encapsulated curcumin provides promising bio safe cross-linker for optimizing hydrogel system, since carboxymethyl cellulose raises its ability to penetrate mucus layer. Additionally, flow cytometry and cytotoxicity show ability of encapsulated curcumin to inhibit proliferation of liver cancer cells.