FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF CURCUMIN LOADED LIPOSOME AND ITS BIO-ENHANCEMENT

The aim of this work was to develop and evaluate curcumin loaded liposome and its bio- enhancement. Curcumin was selected as a natural drug for liposome formulation. Curcumin show variety of biological activity but it also shows poor bioavailability due to low aqueous solubility (1 µg/ml), poor absorption and rapid metabolism so that piperine was selected as bio enhancer to improve curcumin bioavailability. Soy lecithin and cholesterol were used to prepared curcumin and curcumin-piperine loaded liposome at different ratio by thin film hydration method because of easy to perform, and high encapsulation rates of lipid. The all liposome formulations (F1-F5) were evaluated by mean particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency and drug release. Bioavailability was also determined on rat. Blood samples were collected at specific intervals, and plasma was separated by ultracentrifugation. Plasma was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography at 425 nm taking acetonitrile: water (75:25 v/v) acidified with 2% acetic acid as a mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.5 ml/min using C18 column. The mean particle size was found in the range between 800-1100 that indicate liposome are large unilamellar vesical types. By zeta potential study its conform that the all formulation was stable. The encapsulation efficiency of all liposome formulation are varied between 59-67%. In vitro drug release was analyse in 7.4 pH phosphate buffer, the maximum %CDR observed at the 12 hrs., and formulation are follow sustained release thus they reduce metabolism, good absorption rate which improve bioavailability of drug. From in-vivo study, it is clear that curcumin-piperine liposomal formulation, increases Cmax, area under the curve, and mean residence time significantly as compared to pure curcumin and pure curcumin liposome. Keywords: liposome; Curcumin; Piperine, Thin film hydration method; Bioavailability