Curcumin-based biocompatible nanocarriers: a contemporary perspective in functional foods and biomedical applications

Curcumin, a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound derived from Curcuma longa, has garnered substantial interest for its extensive pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer effects. However, its clinical and nutritional applications are hindered by significant physicochemical challenges, including poor water solubility, rapid metabolic degradation, and low systemic bioavailability. Recent advances in nanotechnology have opened new pathways for enhancing curcumin's therapeutic potential through the development of biocompatible nanocarrier systems. These nanoformulations, including liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, dendrimers, and cyclodextrin complexes, offer improved solubility, protection from enzymatic and environmental degradation, targeted delivery, and controlled release profiles. This review critically explores the evolution and design of curcumin-based nanocarriers with applications spanning functional food systems and biomedical therapeutics. It provides a comprehensive synthesis of the formulation strategies. The integration of nano-curcumin into functional foods has also shown promising results in improvements of sensory acceptability across dairy, beverage, bakery, and nutraceutical products. In therapeutic applications, curcumin-loaded nanocarriers demonstrate superior efficacy in cancer therapy, neurodegenerative disorders, hepatoprotection, the management of metabolic syndrome, and wound healing, owing to their targeted delivery and controlled release mechanisms. The novelty of this review lies in its comprehensive and critical synthesis that brings together advances in nanocarrier design and application across both biomedical and functional food domains. By integrating evidence from pharmacology, materials science, and food technology, it highlights how nanocarrier strategies address the multifaceted limitations of native curcumin and identifies common principles guiding their translation. Future perspectives include the development of innovative and stimuli-responsive systems, the need for global standardization, expansion of clinical trials, and integration into personalized nutrition platforms.