Curcumin, a polyphenolic extract from the rhizomes of turmeric, exhibits
antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities, which are beneficial for the treatment of
gastric diseases. However,
curcumin's therapeutic usefulness is restricted by its low aqueous solubility and short gastric residence time. In this study,
curcumin-loaded solid dispersion (ratio 1:5) was prepared using Eudragit® EPO (Cur EPO-SD), resulting in an approximately 12,000-fold increase in solubility to 6.38 mg/mL. Expandable films incorporating Cur EPO-SD were subsequently prepared by
solvent casting using different types of
starch (banana, corn, pregelatinized, and mung bean
starch) in combination with
chitosan. Films produced from banana, corn, pregelatinized and mung bean
starch unfolded and expanded upon exposure to simulated gastric medium, resulting in sustained release of 80% of the
curcumin content within 8 h, whereas films based on pregelatinized
starch showed immediate release characteristics.
Curcumin-loaded expandable films based on different types of
starch exhibited similar cytotoxic effects toward AGS cells and more activity than unformulated
curcumin. Furthermore, the films resulted in increased anti-inflammatory activity against RAW 264.7 macrophage cells compared with the
NSAID,
indomethacin. These findings demonstrate the potential of expandable
curcumin-loaded films as gastroretentive
dosage forms for the treatment of
gastric diseases and to improve oral bioavailability.