Absorption and release characteristics of curcumin in bacterial cellulose film

Abstract

In this research, absorption and release characteristica of curcumin in bacterial cellulose (BC) film by Acetobacter xylinum was studied using the curcumin solution at 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 (mg/ml) absorbed into the wet BC films. Then the physical properties of the developed bacterial cellulose-curcumin (BCC) films such as mechanical property and equilibrium water content and the biological properties such as antifungal ability, antibacterial ability (test by Disc diffusion) and the inhibition of B16 melanoma cells (test by MTT assay) were investigated. From the study, the mechanical properties and equilibrium water content of the BCC films were found to be relatively lower than those of the BC film. Fourier tansform infrared spectroscopy analysis illustrated the interaction between BC fibrils and curcumin components. From the examination of antibacterial and antifungal properties, the BCC films with the loading of curcumin solution at concentration of 0.5 and 1.0 mg/ml displsyed antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger with no antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram negative bacteria. Characterization of inhibitory effect on growth of human melanoma cells showed that the amount of curcumin absorbed in the BCC films could be released into the cell culture medium and subsequently inhibited the growth of melanoma cancer within 3 hours. Therefore, the development of the BCC film will be useful in medical applications