Preparation, characterization, release and antioxidant activity of curcumin-loaded amorphous calcium phosphate nanoparticles

In the study, amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) nanoparticles were prepared by the coprecipitation method to optimize release profile of curcumin (Cur) and avoid burst releases, which were used to overcome the weakness of Cur, such as poor chemical stability and bioavailability. To find the best preparation condition, the influence of reaction concentration, temperature, time and pH on crystal phase of the samples was investigated by XRD and FTIR. The results showed that amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) was obtained, when pH value and the concentration of PO43− were 8 and 0.024 mM, prepared at 30 °C for 10 min. In vitro drug release assay, ACP nanoparticles showed high loading capacity of Cur and favorable pH-responsive drug release properties. Furthermore, the Cur-load ACP nanoparticles showed an excellent ability to scavenge free radical and damage A549 cells, resulting in a high antioxidant properties and low cell viability. Therefore, the as-prepared nanoparticles have promising applications in the food and biomedical fields.