Preparation and characterisation of curcumin-loaded aquasomes

Aquasomes are nanocarrier systems with a core, carbohydrate layer, and outer active pharmaceutical ingredients layer. This study aimed to develop and evaluate curcumin-loaded aquasomes as a novel drug delivery system. Optimization used Central Composite Design within Response Surface Methodology in Design Expert software. Factors like core-to-coat ratio, incubation time, and drug amount were optimized for particle size distribution index (PDI), zeta potential, and particle size. Aquasomes, prepared by coating hydroxyapatite (HAP) cores with sugars and loading them with curcumin using polyvinylpyrrolidone, were characterized for size, zeta potential, FTIR analysis, and encapsulation efficiency. In vitro drug release studies and stability assessments were conducted under various storage conditions. Optimized HAP cores had a particle size of 55.41 nm and a PDI of 0.374. Sugar coatings increased particle size, with lactose-coated HAP at 149.6 nm. Curcumin-loaded aquasomes exhibited larger sizes, with AQ-sucrose and AQ-maltose formulations measuring 215.6 nm and 329.5 nm, respectively. Zeta potential analysis indicated good colloidal stability. SEM and EDX analyses confirmed successful coating and drug loading. Encapsulation efficiencies ranged from 50% to 55.1%, with trehalose-coated aquasomes performing best. Curcumin-loaded aquasomes showed significant release profiles: over 80% in 90 minutes for trehalose, maltose, sucrose, and lactose aquasomes. Trehalose aquasomes exhibited the highest release, with 90% released in less than 100 minutes. Stability assessments indicated no significant changes over 90 days, and photostability tests revealed enhanced protection against light-induced degradation. This study successfully developed curcumin-loaded aquasomes with enhanced stability and solubility optimized through QbD principles.