pH triggered curcumin release and antioxidant activity of curcumin loaded γ-Fe2O3 magnetic nanoparticles

Abstract Curcumin is a proven antioxidant and anti-cancerous compound found in Curcuma longa . However, the low solubility of curcumin limits its usefulness in therapeutics. To make curcumin more bioavailable, we have functionalized γ-Fe 2 O 3 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with curcumin through the biodegradable polymer chitosan. The MNPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Transvers Electron Microscopy (TEM), BET (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller) and a Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The antioxidant potential of curcumin loaded on chitosan coated MNPs (CMNPs) was subsequently investigated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and investigated for its pH triggered curcumin releasing capacity. CMNPs showed pH responsive curcumin release and release at pH 6.0 (∼40%) was more than at pH 7.4 (∼20%) after 6 days. Nanoformulated CMNPs possesses good antioxidant activity with pH triggered curcumin releasing capacity and of high potential value for biomedical use.