Amorphous nanoparticles of curcumin (ANC) with primary particle sizes of 50 to 100 nm were prepared using a forced thin film reactor (FTFR). An ethanolic solution of curcumin and polyvinylpyrrolidone was mixed with purified water in an FTFR to precipitate the curcumin nanoparticles. In order to obtain amorphous particles, the solvent used and the operation conditions of FTFR such as the rotation speed of the disk and the flow rate of solutions were adjusted.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAmorphization has been widely recognized as a useful solubilization technique for poorly water-soluble drugs, such as curcumin. We have recently reported the novel finding that the membrane transport of curcumin was markedly enhanced when amorphous solid particles of curcumin came into direct contact with the lipid membrane surface, but this was not true for crystalline solid particles. The increase in the permeation of curcumin was found to be independent of the improvements in aqueous solubility brought about by amorphization.
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