Soluble polymer-curcumin encapsulation to protect against gamma irradiation and increase the water solubility

Abstract

Curcumin is a polyphenol derived from turmeric, a herbaceous plant native from Asia, which has been studying for medicinal properties. Over the years, different civilizations have used those plants to treat or prevent bacterial diseases. Technological advances have made it possible for scientists to study the activity mechanisms, as well as properties derived from these mechanisms, known as medicinal plants. These studies have confirmed that turmeric's medicinal properties are derived from its polyphenols, which in turn can be identified, isolated and used more efficiently. Despite curcumin's antimicrobial benefits, its highly hydrophobic molecule affects its use in biological systems, as well as its bioavailability in humans and animals. The process of modifying a molecule allows changes to be made to its characteristics, benefiting its use; in this context, encapsulation with polymers with amphiphilic characteristics, such as PVP K30, presents itself as a viable alternative for greater affinity with biosystems. The encapsulate curcumin, called C-PVP K30, proved to be possible and effective, keeping the molecule stable and in nanometric dimensions, based on results from DLS and ZETA analyses. Microscopy analysis (SEM-FEG) showed morphologically spherical and dispersed particles with small points of agglomeration. The successful encapsulation of this active substance allowed the solution to be studied under gamma radiation. The results obtained by FTIR and UV-Vis show that this process was unable to protect the curcumin molecule against ionizing radiation.