Development of Curcuma domestica extract-loaded transferosomes and evaluation of their in vitro antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities.

Abstract

This study aimed to develop and characterise C. domestica ethanolic extract (CDEE)-loaded transfersomes and to evaluate their in vitro antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. Transferosomes were prepared using the thin-film hydration method and characterised for particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, FTIR, and TEM. Antibacterial activity was evaluated using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), antioxidant activity using DPPH and ABTS assays, and anti-inflammatory activity using a protein denaturation assay. The CDEE-loaded transfersomes that have undergone nanovesicle characterisation exhibit strong antibacterial activity (MIC of 0.97 μg/mL) comparable to tetracycline. They demonstrated robust antioxidant activity (DPPH IC₅₀ of 5.79 ± 0.01 and ABTS IC₅₀ of 6.82 ± 0.01), exceeding those of free CDEE. The optimised formulation demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory effects (95.11% inhibition of protein denaturation) comparable to that of ibuprofen. Incorporation of CDEE into transfersomal nanovesicles significantly enhanced its in vitro antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities, highlighting its potential as an effective nanocarrier-based delivery system.