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Pharmaceuticals
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Curcumin: Current Status and Future Challenges in Drug Delivery and...
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Curcumin: Current Status and Future Challenges in Drug Delivery and Advanced Formulations

A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmacology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 November 2026 | Viewed by 962

Editors

Dr. Valentina Paganini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 33, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Interests: drug delivery; formulation; skin; eye; polymeric materials
Dr. Silvia Tampucci

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 33, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Interests: drug delivery; formulation; skin; eye; nail
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Curcumin, the principal bioactive compound of Curcuma longa, has been used for centuries in traditional Asian medicine and continues to attract considerable scientific interest for its wide range of pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial effects. Despite its promising therapeutic potential, curcumin’s clinical translation remains limited due to its poor water solubility, low systemic bioavailability, instability under physiological conditions, and rapid metabolic elimination.

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the use of curcumin as a natural active compound, focusing on both its therapeutic potential and the limitations that still hinder its full exploitation. Particular attention will be given to innovative formulation strategies designed to overcome these challenges. These include advanced nanoformulations (e.g., liposomes, micelles, and solid lipid nanoparticles), polymer-based systems, the use of bioenhancers, and synergistic combinations with other bioactives. Additionally, we welcome studies addressing the molecular mechanisms of curcumin's action and its efficacy in preclinical and clinical models.

By consolidating state-of-the-art research, this Special Issue seeks to highlight the current status of curcumin-based therapies and identify the most effective strategies for exploiting the potential of this natural compound. Researchers from pharmacology, pharmaceutical sciences, medicinal chemistry, and related fields are invited to contribute.

Dr. Valentina Paganini
Dr. Silvia Tampucci
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceuticals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • curcumin

  • curcumin delivery

  • curcumin formulations

  • therapeutic potential

  • natural polyphenols

  • phytochemicals

  • nanotechnology

  • pharmacological properties

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

23 pages, 8706 KB  
Article
Development of Albumin Nanocarriers for Enhanced Curcumin Delivery and In Vitro Anticancer Activity in Colon Cancer Cells
by Aftab Ahmad, Darshana Bagwe, Shagufta Khan, Chetna Dhone, Shilpa Padhare, Anwar A. Alghamdi and Shah Alam Khan
Pharmaceuticals 2026, 19(6), 872; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph19060872 - 30 May 2026
Viewed by 470
Abstract
Objectives: Curcumin possesses well-documented anticancer activity; however, its clinical translation is hindered by poor aqueous solubility and limited bioavailability. The present study aimed to engineer pH-dependent bovine serum albumin (BSA)–based nanocarriers for curcumin delivery and to evaluate their physicochemical characteristics, controlled release behavior [...] Read more.
Objectives: Curcumin possesses well-documented anticancer activity; however, its clinical translation is hindered by poor aqueous solubility and limited bioavailability. The present study aimed to engineer pH-dependent bovine serum albumin (BSA)–based nanocarriers for curcumin delivery and to evaluate their physicochemical characteristics, controlled release behavior under gastrointestinal pH conditions, and in vitro anticancer efficacy against the human colon cancer cell line Colo-205. Methods: Curcumin-loaded bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (Cu-BSA-NPs) were fabricated using a desolvation technique followed by chemical crosslinking. Particle size, zeta potential, and polydispersity index (PDI) were assessed by dynamic light scattering. Morphology was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while structural and thermal properties were evaluated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Drug loading capacity and entrapment efficiency were quantified spectrophotometrically. In vitro drug release was investigated using a gastrointestinal pH-transition model (pH 1.2, 6.8, and 7.4). Cytotoxic activity was assessed using the sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay on Colo-205 cells. Results: The engineered Cu-BSA-NPs exhibited particle sizes ranging from 96.7 ± 10.5 to 126.4 ± 35.8 nm, with PDI values between 0.289 and 0.581 and zeta potentials from −18.2 ± 1.01 to −34 ± 1.0 mV, indicating nanoscale dimensions and moderate colloidal stability. SEM analysis revealed spherical nanoparticles with smooth surfaces and uniform morphology. Entrapment efficiency ranged from 6.59 ± 1.11% to 52.98 ± 0.65%, while drug loading efficiency varied between 1.308 ± 0.206% and 16.744 ± 0.266%. In vitro release studies demonstrated minimal drug release under acidic (pH 1.2) and near-neutral (pH 6.8) conditions, followed by significantly enhanced release at pH 7.4, confirming pH-dependent behavior of the albumin matrix. Cytotoxicity studies showed significant antiproliferative activity against Colo-205 human colon cancer cells. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate successful engineering of albumin-based nanocarriers capable of modulating curcumin release under physiologically relevant pH conditions and enhancing in vitro anticancer activity. Although limited to in vitro evaluation, this study highlights the potential of protein-based nanoplatforms as adaptable delivery systems for colon cancer therapy. Further in vivo investigations are warranted to validate their translational and therapeutic potential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Curcumin: Current Status and Future Challenges in Drug Delivery and Advanced Formulations)
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