Development and Characterization of Curcumin Nanosuspension Formulation for Pulmonary Drug Delivery

Curcumin is a compound that has been extensively studied for a wide range of illnesses, including respiratory diseases. However, when administered orally, curcumin has low bioavailability and limited tissue concentrations. Thus, it limits the use of oral curcumin in pulmonary diseases. One of the alternative solutions is to develop a formulation of curcumin for inhalation. This study aimed to develop a curcumin nanosuspension formulation for pulmonary drug delivery. Curcumin nanosuspension for inhalation was developed by mixing the dissolved drug into poloxamer 188, followed by stirring and high-speed homogenization. The resulting nanosuspension was evaluated for its particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, and stability test. Curcumin nanosuspension was delivered to the rats via nebulizer for 30minutes. An hour after inhalation, rats were sacrificed. Then, blood and lung tissues were obtained to analyze curcumin concentrations. The particle size of curcumin in the selected suspension formulation was 281.3nm, with a PDI of 0.464 and a zeta potential of -29.5. Entrapment efficiency was 90.11±6.72%. Curcumin was detected in the lung with a concentration of 0.161±0.022ng/100mg of lung tissues but undetected in the rat plasma. Thus, a curcumin nanosuspension formulation for inhalation was successfully made using poloxamer 188, followed by high-speed homogenization. The preparation was fast and straightforward. In addition, the formulation was effective for local delivery to the lung.