薑黃素(curcumin)為天然的多酚類，擁有抗發炎、抗氧化、抗腫瘤、抗菌、抗癌等等效用，且無細胞毒性，但其為水難溶性物質導致生物利用率低，因此為能有效利用薑黃素，改善薑黃素之低水溶解度為首要之務。
本研究分為兩種方法改善薑黃素的低水溶解度，其一為利用靜電紡絲技術製備薑黃素固態分散形式之聚乙烯咯烷酮纖維薄膜(Cur-PVP fiber)，Cur-PVP fiber經FTIR-ATR分析，薑黃素於Cur-PVP fiber中與PVP產生分子間氫鍵，而XRD分析可看出薑黃素是以非晶態形式存在，水溶解度分析證實Cur-PVP fiber溶解於水中較純薑黃素在水中之飽和溶液，可明顯提升水中薑黃素濃度，由0.39±0.05μg/mL提升至491.86±31.27μg/mL，溶解速率僅2分鐘就能達到近100%之完全溶解。於抗氧化分析中因薑黃素水中濃度提高有效提升其抗氧化效果，光化學穩定性也因為薑黃素有PVP的保護而提升；此外CIJ-D-M裝置執行快速奈米沉澱技術可產生乙醯澱粉包覆薑黃素之47-58nm奈米顆粒(Cur@AS)，在最適化條件下的產率、drug loading capability(DLC)及drug loading encapsulation efficiency (DLE)達92.9%、8.19%及71.0%，在所製備之Cur@AS水溶液中薑黃素濃度較純薑黃素飽和水溶液，可由0.39±0.05μg/mL提升至45.1±0.81μg/mL，因薑黃素水中濃度提高也大幅提升其抗氧化效果，此外，因為薑黃素有乙醯澱粉的包覆光化學穩定性也大幅增加。

Curcumin is a natural occurring phenolic substance, which has wide range of pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, antibacterial and anticancer properties. However, its limited aqueous solubility restricts its bioavailability. Polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) is known as a biocompatible and highly water soluble polymer. Solid dispersion of curcumin in electrospun PVP (CUR-PVP) fibrous mat was prepared to increase its solubility and dissolution rate in aqueous solution. Physical characterizations of CUR-PVP by FE-SEM, FTIR-ATR, and XRD were carried out. The average diameter of CUR-PVP fiber in the mat is about 1μm. CUR-PVP can be easily dissolved in water with significantly improve curcumin solubility from 0.39±0.05μg/mL to 491.86±31.27μg/mL. The enhanced solubility is mainly due to the stable chemical complex interaction between curcumin and PVP. CUR-PVP not only can increase DPPH free radical scavenging activity as well as antioxidant activity measured by CUPRAC assay and ferric thiocyanate method but also curcumin photochemical stability.
Curcumin encapsulated in acetylated starch (Cur@AS) nanoparticles of 47-58 nm in diameter was also prepared by flash nanoprecipitation to increase the solubility of curcumin. The highest production yield of Cur@AS was 92.9% with curcumin loading capability of 8.19% and curcumin loading encapsulation efficiency of 71.0%. Cur@AS nanoparticles not only can increase curcumin solubility but also increase its antioxidant activity and photochemical stability.

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