Poly(curcumin ß-amino ester)-Based Tablet Formulation for a Sustained Release of Curcumin.

Oral drug delivery remains the most common and well tolerated method for drug administration. However, its applicability is often limited due to low drug solubility and stability. One approach to overcome the solubility and stability limitations is the use of amorphous polymeric prodrug formulations, such as poly(ß-amino ester) (PBAE). PBAE hydrogels, which are biodegradable and pH responsive, have shown promising results for the controlled release of drugs by improving the stability and increasing the solubility of these drugs. In this work, we have evaluated the potential use of PBAE prodrugs in an oral tablet formulation, studying their sustained drug release potential and storage stability. Curcumin, a low solubility, low stability antioxidant drug was used as a model compound. Poly(curcumin ß-amino ester) (PCBAE), a crosslinked amorphous network, was synthesized by a previously published method using a commercial diacrylate and a primary diamine, in combination with acrylate-functionalized curcumin. PCBAE-based tablets were made and exhibited a sustained release for 16 h, following the hydrolytic degradation of PCBAE particles into native curcumin. In addition to the release studies, preliminary storage stability was assessed using standard and accelerated stability conditions. As PCBAE degradation is hydrolysis driven, tablet stability was found to be sensitive to moisture.

Curcumin Acrylation for Biological and Environmental Applications.

Curcumin has recently gained interest for use in drug delivery, chemical sensing, and environmental applications. As a result, the development of synthesis strategies for the incorporation of curcumin into novel materials has become a priority. One such strategy, curcumin acrylation, involves the introduction of acrylate functional groups to the curcumin scaffold, with the potential generation of mono-, di-, and triacrylate curcumin species. The relative populations of these species in the resulting multiacrylate mixture can be controlled by the ratio of curcumin to acryloyl chloride in the initial reaction formulation. Characterization of the acrylation reaction and the resulting curcumin multiacrylate product is essential for the effective preparation of new curcumin-containing materials. In this work, a synthesis method for curcumin acrylation is presented and the resulting curcumin multiacrylate product is characterized via various techniques, i.e., HPLC, LCMS, and NMR, as a basis to establish the relationship between synthesis conditions and the extent of acrylation that is achieved.