Characterization and Antimicrobial Activity of Nanocurcumin and Curcumin

Curcumin is the principal curcuminoid of the popular Indian spice Curcuma longa (Turmeric), which is a member of ginger family (Zingiberaceae). Inspite of showing extraordinary medicinal properties its commercialized formulation is still a challenge because of its poor solubility, bioavailability and rapid plasma clearance. In our work, different shapes of nanocurcumin are prepared in alcohol-water solutions using sonication assisted solvent worsening method. The nanocrcumin in the suspension have been characterized using Dynamic and Static Light Scattering (DLS and SLS) and Transmission Electron Microscopy methods. The DLS data revealed that the curcumin nanoparticles in the suspension had asymmetric shape with effective hydrodynamic radius in the range of 120-160nm. With increase in water concentration in the solvent medium the shape of the nanocurcumin was seen to undergo a gradual transition from isotropic to anisotropic state which was supported by TEM study. The in vitro antimicrobial activity (Inhibition) of the nanocurcumin has been compared with that of the normal curcumin using Broth dilution and Kirby-Bauer methods against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. The efficacy of nanocurcumin is marginally better than curcurmin per se. We observed that nanocurcumin had better dispersibility and enhanced bioavailability in hydrophilic environment as compared to normal curcumin.