LAUSR

Abstract This study evaluated the potential of phytoglycogen (PG) to solubilize curcumin (CCM) and improve its in vitro permeation and anticancer efficacy. CCM and PG were incorporated using co-solvent mixing followed by spray- or vacuum-drying. The obtained CCM/PG solid dispersions were evaluated for soluble CCM amount, CCM-PG interactions, Caco-2 monolayer permeation, and inhibitory efficacy against HeLa cells. Results showed that preparation method and PG-to-CCM ratio affected CCM soluble amount, favoring spray-drying and high PG-to-CCM ratios. FTIR spectra suggested the presence of hydrogen bonding between CCM and PG in spray-dried solid dispersions. For Caco-2 monolayer permeation, CCM/PG solid dispersion resulted in the basolateral CCM accumulation of 0.53 μg per well in 120 min, compared with 0.13 μg for curcumin alone. In particular, CCM/PG solid dispersions showed much greater efficacy than CCM alone in reducing the viability of HeLa cells, suggesting the potential of PG to enable CCM as a bioactive compound.