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Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women worldwide. There are an estimated 570.000 new cases of cervical cancer each year and conventional treatments can cause severe side effects. In this work, we developed a platform for vaginal administration of lipophilic drugs for cervical cancer treatment. We formulated mucoadhesive cubosomes for the delivery of curcumin, a lipophilic drug for cervical cancer treatment, to increase its bioavailability and local absorption. This study tests the use of cubosomes for vaginal drug administration and assesses their potential efficiency using the CAM (chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane) model. SAXS (small-angle X-ray scattering), cryo-TEM (cryo-transmission electron microscopy), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were employed to characterise the system. With ex vivo permeation and retention studies, we find that the curcumin released from our system is retained in the vaginal mucosa. In vitro cytotoxicity assay and cellular uptake showed an increased cytotoxic effect of curcumin against HeLa cell line when incorporated into the cubosomes. The curcumin-loaded cubosomes also demonstrated an antiangiogenic effect evaluated in vivo by the CAM model., Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 620, ISSN:0021-9797, ISSN:1095-7103

Curcumin has great potential as a photosensitizer, but it has low solubility in aqueous solutions. This study reports the antimicrobial efficacy of photodynamic inactivation (PDI) mediated by a curcumin-loaded liquid crystal precursor (LCP) on in situ dental biofilms. Thirty volunteers used intraoral devices containing enamel samples for 48 hours for biofilm formation. The samples were then removed from the device and treated either with LCP with 160 μM of curcumin plus illumination at 18 J/cm

Curcumin (CUR) is a pigment extracted from Curcuma longa L. with great potential as a photosensitizer for photodynamic inactivation of oral biofilms. However its low solubility in aqueous solutions is a challenge. In order to indicate this therapy for clinical use with adequate efficacy and safety, the investigation of biocompatible vehicles able to solubilize the CUR retaining its photodynamic effect is required. In this context, the first step is to investigate the photodynamic behavior of new formulations. This study assessed the photodegradation of CUR at two concentrations (60 and 80 M) prepared in different vehicles (Oleic Acid, Chitosan and Emulgin). Aliquots of each formulation were transferred to 96 well plates and illuminated for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,10, 15, 20, 25 and 30min with a blue LEDs system ( =440nm, I=0.022mW/cm2). After each illumination time, a measure of the absorbance spectra of the formulations was taken. Photobleaching rates were calculated and it was concluded that, for any formulation tested, the maximum illumination time should be of 15min because after that there will be noCURavailable to continuepromotingphotodynamic effect. Thus, the most stable formulation was the one prepared with chitosan (80 M).