LAUSR

A supersaturatable self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (S-SMEDDS) with a reduced amount of surfactant and incorporation of a polymer precipitation inhibitor, Eudragit® E PO was developed. The optimized S-SMEDDS formulation (SS-15) consisted of 55% surfactants, 40% oils, and 5% Eudragit® E PO (curcumin at 44.4 mg/g of the formulation). The precipitation profiles from the supersaturation assay revealed that the curcumin S-SMEDDS performed as a better inhibitor of curcumin precipitation in simulated gastric fluid over a 240-min study than the normal curcumin SMEDDS and an aqueous curcumin suspension. In addition, the mean droplet size of the curcumin S-SMEDDS (21.6 ± 0.1 nm) was significantly smaller than the SMEDDS (28.1 ± 0.3 nm). The curcumin S-SMEDDS exhibited a threefold reduction of Caco-2 cell toxicity when compared to the curcumin SMEDDS because of the reduced toxic effect of the surfactant present in the SMEDDS formulation. In addition, the absorptive permeability across the Caco-2 monolayer of curcumin in the S-SMEDDS was significantly higher than for the unformulated curcumin (~ 5-folds). The plasma concentration–time profiles from the oral absorption studies in rats dosed with the curcumin S-SMEDDS showed a 1.22- and 53.14-fold increased absorption of curcumin, compared to the SMEDDS and the aqueous suspension, respectively. The curcumin S-SMEDDS was stable under both intermediate and accelerated conditions after 6 months of storage.