Application of curcumin-loaded nanocarriers for food, drug and cosmetic purposes

Curcumin, the major bioactive material of turmeric, has wide functional features such as anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. However, curcumin exhibits some major limitations including low water solubility, degradation during processing or within the gastrointestinal tract and alkaline conditions, leading to decrease of its bioavailability. For these reasons, many studies have tried to improve functionality of curcumin and overcome its limitations through delivery systems, especially nanoencapsulation. In this review, practical applications of the nanoencapsulated curcumin, prepared by various techniques in different food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products have been considered and explained. The importance of nanoencapsulation in improving functional effects of curcumin in processed foods, such as coloring, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity has been discussed thoroughly and its potential applications for medicinal proposes including cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, viral and bacterial infections have been reviewed. Nano-delivery systems, because of exclusive characteristics of nanoparticles as well as conventional properties of an encapsulation medium, can provide chemical stability, hydrophilicity, sustained release and adequate dispersibility of curcumin in final products (food, cosmetics and drug). Consequently, the pharmacokinetic properties of curcumin including biological half-life and bioavailability (or bioaccessibility) can be improved resulting in better clinical and functional efficacy in vivo. Although the potentials of curcumin nanoformulations have been extensively studied in the literature, future studies can better help to find optimum formulations for clinical and industrial applications of nanoencapsulated curcumin.