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

摘要

Background: Curcumin, the major bioactive material of turmeric, has wide functional features such as antidiabetic, 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.