Design, development and evaluation of curcumin (Curcuma longa) encapsulated phospholipid nanocarrier to enhance solubility and improve efficacy in MCF-7 cell line by Quality by Design.

Lipid-based excipients are increasingly used to enhance the stability of innovative drug delivery systems. Phospoholipid nanocarriers, a botanical formulation, are used to build lipophilic molecular complexes, improving stability, absorption, and bioavailability. Turmeric (Curcuma longa) contains curcumin, which has poor bioavailability due to its solubility and wettability. Hence the study was designed to enhance the solubility of curcumin by phospholipid complexation. The curcumin-encapsulated phospholipid nanocarriers (Ccm-PNs) were developed by solvent evaporation method, and the formula was optimized using a Box-Behnekn design based on QbD. Physicochemical properties and functional characterization were done by accessing particle size, entrapment efficiency, in vitro drug release. The adenocarcinoma breast cell line (MCF-7) was used for cytotoxicity investigation of Ccm-PNs. It showed lower particle size and stable zeta potential values, and their compatibility with excipients was confirmed through DSC and FTIR studies. They also demonstrated higher entrapment and in vitro drug release over 48 hours. The cytotoxicity study showed improved efficacy than pure curcumin solution. In conclusion, overall results shows that phospholipid nanocarriers have the ability to enhance therapeutic efficacy and bioavailability.