Biodegradable Hyaluronic Acid-Curcumin Development

Challenges of Curcumin in Biomedical Applications

Curcumin is a natural orange-yellow phenolic hydroxy compound with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. Curcumin exhibits antiproliferative effects on some cancer cell lines of human origin by inhibiting several important cellular targets. Furthermore, the potential of curcumin as a photodynamic therapeutic agent in skin cancer treatment has been confirmed in several studies. Recent studies have shown that curcumin can be used effectively in the treatment of incapacitating diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

However, the poor water solubility, poor stability, and low bioavailability of curcumin limit its application in drug therapy. The development of curcumin conjugates with water-soluble polymers and targeting proteins can greatly enhance the therapeutic effect of curcumin. Hyaluronic acid (HA), a naturally occurring polysaccharide with intrinsic cell-specific binding capacity has great potential as a target-specific drug carrier. Recent studies have shown that the formation of HA-Cur conjugates can enhance the water solubility, stability, and targeting properties of curcumin, thereby improving bioavailability.

Fig.1 Reaction between curcumin and HA in DMSO under the catalysis of DCC and HOBt. (Li, et al., 2015)

Biodegradable HA-Cur Development Services at CD BioGlyco

Considering several advantages of Hyaluronic Acid-based Biodegradable Materials, our researchers tried to use HA to modify curcumin to prepare a potential curcumin delivery vehicle. We provide professional solutions to help clients prepare HA–Cur conjugates and curcumin-loaded nano-micelle to improve the water solubility and antioxidant activity of curcumin. Our services include but are not limited to:

• Synthesis of HA-Cur
  We established some simple methods to directly conjugate curcumin to HA, such as direct conjugation of HA with curcumin in a homogeneous mixture of water and dimethyl sulfoxide through a simple esterification reaction.
• Characterization of HA-Cur conjugate
  FT-IR investigation. We provide advanced instruments to help clients record the Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra of the HA-Cur at the wavelength region between 400 and 4000 cm^-1.
  
  • Measurement of the degree of substitution (DS)
  • Determination of the water solubility of HA-Cur
  • Measurement of the size, PDI, and zeta of the micelle.
• Encapsulation of curcumin into HA-Cur micelle and characterization of curcumin-loaded HA-Cur
• Cytotoxicity and stability analysis

Advantages of HA-Cur in Biological Applications

• The HA-Cur conjugate solubility in water was several folds higher compared to free curcumin.
• The conjugates can form micelles in aqueous media.
• High stability even in alkaline media in which free curcumin rapidly degrades.
• Conjugated curcumin showed cytotoxicity, reflecting its potential in targeted drug delivery applications.
• Conjugated curcumin carries net -ve charge (-ve zeta potential), reflecting its potential in developing nanostructures.

CD BioGlyco has reputable experts in the research and application of Polysaccharide-based Biodegradable Materials and a first-class technical team. Based on the concept of innovative technology and customer service, we provide professional and reliable HA-Cur development solutions for global customers.

If you are interested in our business, please feel free to contact us for more details, and we will respond promptly.