Curcumin loaded on pullulan acetate nanoparticles protects the liver from damage induced by DEN

In recent years, nanoparticle based drug delivery has been used to treat liver diseases. Even though curcumin is a potent antioxidant, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger and anti-inflammatory agent, its use at a clinical level is very limited due to its poor bioavailability rendered by its physiochemical properties. In this study, biodegradable liver specific pullulan acetate nanoparticles (PA) loaded with curcumin were developed for the first time. These curcumin loaded PA nanoparticles were found to improve the encapsulation efficiency and stability of curcumin with sustained release, under physiological conditions. Thus, curcumin loaded pullulan acetate nanoparticles (PAC) could solve the physicochemical defects of curcumin like solubility, pH stability, photo-stability, and be used as an effective hepato-protective agent against diethyl nitrosamine (DEN) induced liver damage.