The poor oral bioavailability of curcumin can be attenuated via topical application of nanocomposite thin polymeric film. Curcumin nanocomposite films composed of Eudragit RS 100 and Eudragit RL 100 were investigated for the higher topical bioavailability in inflammatory diseases. The nanocomposite films were developed by solvent evaporation method from polymeric nanodispersion, prepared by nanoprecipitation with homogenization and ultrasonic dispersion method. The permeability of curcumin from nanocomposite film was investigated across porcine ear epidermis in modified Franz diffusion cell. The anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin from the optimized film were evaluated by carrageenan induced rat paw edema method in wistar albino rats. The nanocomposite films showed good stability with uniform drug content in the range of 81 - 87 % w/w. The SEM and TEM data confirmed the deposition of spherical nanocurcumin in the size range of 78.8 – 97.3 nm. The skin permeability of curcumin was found to be more from the nanocomposite film, when compared to plain curcumin. The in vivo anti-inflammatory study in rat model showed that curcumin nanocomposite film reduced inflammation more effectively than the oral curcumin at the same dose. This study clearly indicates the superiority of curcumin nanocomposite film over plain curcumin in providing higher bioavailability with enhanced anti-inflammatory effect.
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