Curcumin-Encapsulated Magnetic Nanoparticles: A Promising Nanoplatform for Cancer Drug Delivery

Curcumin, a natural polyphenol with significant anticancer effects, is hindered by low bioavailability and quick metabolism, restricting its therapeutic application. To overcome these challenges, present study emphasizes on the synthesis of curcumin-loaded magnetic nanoparticles (Cur-MNPs) using the co-precipitation method. Poloxamer F-68 was employed as a biocompatible polymer coating to enhance stability and drug delivery efficiency. The synthesized magnetic nanoparticles were evaluated using dynamic light scattering (DLS) for particle size and zeta potential analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for surface morphological and structural analysis. The average particle size was found to be in the nanometer range (199.3 nm), indicating suitability for cellular uptake, with a negative zeta potential of -20.4 mV suggesting colloidal stability. SEM images showed uniformly distributed, spherical nanoparticles. The synthesis curcumin-encapsulated magnetic nanoparticles exhibited a high drug encapsulation of 98.56%. The results demonstrate that Cur-MNPs synthesized via the co-precipitation method and coated with Poloxamer F-68 exhibit desirable physicochemical characteristics for targeted cancer therapy, offering a promising solution for improving curcumin delivery and therapeutic efficacy. Further animal studies can be performed to evaluate anticancer activity.