Improved chronic wound therapy: surface charged deformable liposomes for dermal delivery of curcumin

Abstract

Chronic wounds are today representing a major challenge in global healthcare due the difficulty to treat as well as the costs for the society. Therefore, improving chronic wound therapy is an urgent need. Curcumin, a polyphenol compound, has shown to have potential in wound therapy due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-infectious and anti-oxidant properties. However, the poor water solubility, low bioavailability and rapid degradation represent major challenges in optimizing formulation of curcumin for delivery. The aim of this study was to develop deformable liposomes to improve dermal delivery of curcumin. The liposomes were prepared by thin film hydration method and extruded through polycarbonate membranes to obtain the desired vesicle size. The deformable liposomes were characterized for the size, polydispersity, surface charge and entrapment efficiency. In vitro and ex vivo curcumin release from the deformable liposomes were examined using Franz diffusion cells with cellophane and full-thickness human skin as membranes, respectively. Anti-inflammatory activity, anti-bacterial activity and cell proliferation studies of the different deformable liposomes were assessed to confirm the potential in treatment of chronic wounds.