Study of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles as Nanocarriers for Sustained Release of Curcumin

Curcumin (CUR) is a hydrophobic molecule and beneficial antioxidant with known anticancer property. The bioavailability of curcumin is low because of its hydrophobic structure. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) loaded by CUR were used as nanocarriers for sustained release of CUR in four different media such as simulated gastric,intestinal, colon and body fluids (SGF, SIF, SCF, and SBF, respectively). In this study MSN and its amine-functionalized (AP-MSN) were synthesized, loaded by CUR and then characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), N2 adsorption isotherms, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). TGA showed that the amount of CUR loaded into MSN and AP-MSN (named MSN-CUR, AP-MSN-CUR, respectively) was 1.44 and 9.5%, respectively. Entrapment efficiency of CUR in MSN and AP-MSN was found to be 3.6 and 23.75%, respectively. Release rate of CUR from AP-MSN-CUR was slower than that from MSN-CUR at different pHs of media. In addition, the release rate of CUR from AP-MSN-CUR in acidic buffer solution was slower than that in alkaline media.