Development and characterization of curcumin-loaded solid self-emulsifying drug delivery system (SEDDS) by spray drying using Soluplus® as solid carrier

Abstract The objectives of the current work were (a) to investigate the suitability of soluplus®, a hydrophilic polymer, as a carrier for the entrapment of curcumin (CUR) SEDDS by the spray-drying process, and (b) to compare soluplus® with neusilin® US2, a hydrophobic high-capacity adsorbent for solid SEDDS. Both carriers produced free flowing powders with high CUR entrapment efficiency. When filled into capsules, approximately 95% of CUR was dissolved from the soluplus® powder within 120 min and only 41% from the neusilin® US2 base powder. When the powders were compressed into tablets, a slow CUR release was observed over 24 h, which varied as a function of compression force and the percentage of disintegrant used. In conclusion, current study demonstrated the feasibility of using soluplus® as a carrier for the preparation of solid SEDDS with more favorable release profiles when compared to the conventional hydrophobic adsorbents.