Development of liposomes containing curcuminoids and evaluation of dissolution and solubility

• Grant number: 18/23164-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): February 01, 2019
• Effective date (End): January 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Luis Alexandre Pedro de Freitas
• Grantee: Laís do Amaral Viccari
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This work, based on standardized dried extracts of curcuminoids, aims to obtain liposomes, a traditional pharmaceutical form, that allows the increase of the solubility of the curcuminoids and possible improvement in their biological activities. To do so, this work was divided into three parts: First, the acquisition of liposomes with curcuminoids incorporated from the film hydration method. After the liposomes are obtained, they are dried by the spray drying method. The second part of this work is the characterization of these liposomes obtained by the following parameters: particle size; morphology; X-ray diffraction; thermal analysis and encapsulation efficiency. The third part of the work aims to make solubility and dissolution tests of the pure curcuminoid extract and the curcuminoid liposomes obtained in the study. Firstly, the solubility evaluation is done with the pure curcuminoid extract and the liposomes obtained, in order to compare the solubility of both and to evaluate the solubility performance of the pharmaceutical form obtained in this study. Then, the dissolution evaluation is performed with pure powdered extract; pure powdered extract encapsulated in hard capsules; liposomes in powder and, finally, with powdered liposomes encapsulated in hard capsules. This dissolution test will also be performed in order to evaluate the performance of the produced liposomes from the pure curcumin extract. In addition, it will evaluate the performance of both forms (liposome and pure extract) encapsulated.