Casein-capped Nano-curcumin: A Promising Candidate for Wound Healing Application
摘要
Curcumin is a biphenolic active compound derived from turmeric, traditionally used for centuries in cooking, food coloring, and in traditional medicinal systems such as Ayurveda and Chinese medicine. In recent decades, its wide-ranging biological activities have been extensively studied. Curcumin exhibits numerous therapeutic properties, including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antibacterial, anticancer, antioxidant, and antidiabetic effects. However, its clinical application is limited by poor water solubility and low bioavailability, necessitating high doses to achieve effective antibacterial action. These limitations can be overcome through nanoscale formulation. In this study, nano-curcumin (NC) was synthesized using an oil-in-water emulsion technique followed by probe sonication. The sonication process successfully reduced the particle size of micro-curcumin (MC), as confirmed by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), which showed the transformation of rod-like MC structures into nanoparticles. To further improve solubility and bioavailability, NC were encapsulated in sodium caseinate, a milk-derived protein. The wound-healing efficacy of the prepared formulations was assessed using a scratch assay on L929 fibroblast cells. Both caseinate-encapsulated MC and NC exhibited significant wound closure within 18 h, highlighting their potential for therapeutic applications.