Stability of ‘submicron curcumin’ from curcuma longa l. in aqueous media

Abstract

Curcuma Longa L. has been considered as an excellent source of curcumin, having wide scale applications in pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industry. However, widespread applications of this relatively efficacious agent have been limited due to the poor aqueous solubility, and consequently, minimal systemic bioavailability. In this research, ‘submicron curcumin’ suspension in aqueous media was prepared from Curcuma longa L. without the presence of any additive. The average diameter of the ‘submicron curcumin’ particles was 546 nm (DLS). It was found that the ‘submicron curcumin’ suspension could be used in conjunction with several common food ingredients with its stability remaining unaffected. As the system only contained ‘submicron curcumin’ and water, it would be highly promising to applications in functional food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.