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Curcumin, a component in spice turmeric, is renowned to possess anti-cancer therapeutic potential. However, low aqueous solubility and instability of curcumin which subsequently affects its bioavailability pose as major impediments in its translation to clinical application. In this regard, we focused on conjugating hydrophobic curcumin to the hydrophilic backbone of dextran via succinic acid spacer to design a pro-drug. The structural confirmation of the conjugates was carried out using FTIR and (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Critical micelle measurement affirmed the micelle formation of the pro-drug in aqueous media. The size distribution and zeta potential of the curcumin-dextran (Cur-Dex) micelles were determined using dynamic light scattering technique. The micellar architecture bestowed curcumin negligible susceptibility to degradation under physiological conditions along with enhanced aqueous solubility. Biocompatibility of the micelles was proved by the blood component aggregation and plasma protein interaction studies. In vitro release studies demonstrated the pH sensitivity release of curcumin which is conducive to the tumour micro environment. Profound cytotoxic effects of Cur-Dex micelles in C6 glioma cells were observed from MTT and Live/Dead assay experiments. Moreover, enhanced cellular internalization of the Cur-Dex micelles compared to free curcumin in the cancer cells was revealed by fluorescence microscopy. Our study focuses on the feasibility of Cur-Dex micelles to be extrapolated as promising candidates for safe and efficient cancer therapy., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Clinical application of curcumin has been limited due to poor aqueous solubility and consequently minimal systemic bioavailability. We investigated the preparation of curcumin-loaded micelles based on amphiphilic Pluronic/Polycaprolactone (Pluronic/PCL) block copolymer, which proved to be efficient in enhancing curcumin's aqueous solubility. Curcumin-loaded micelles of size below 200 nm was characterized by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the amphiphilic polymer was determined using pyrene as a fluorescent probe. Hemolysis and aggregation studies were investigated to evaluate the blood compatibility of the micelles. Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was performed to study the stability of the micelles toward plasma proteins. In vitro cytotoxicity and cellular uptake of the curcumin-loaded micelles were demonstrated in colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco2) cells. The results indicated that Pluronic/PCL micelles could be a promising candidate for curcumin delivery to cancer cells.