Quality by design optimization of microemulsions for topical delivery of Passiflora setacea seed oil

• Daniel T. Pereira,
• Douglas Dourado,
• Danielle T. Freire,
• Dayanne L. Porto,
• Cícero F. S. Aragão,
• Myla L. de Souza,
• Guilherme R. S. de Araujo,
• Ana Maria Costa,
• Wógenes N. Oliveira,
• Anne Sapin-Minet,
• Éverton N. Alencar and
• Eryvaldo Sócrates T. Egito

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2116–2131, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.146

• at similar concentrations (13.2% of PEG-30 castor oil and 1.8% of Span® 80), for curcumin delivery in a Miglyol® 812N (medium chain triglycerides) oil phase. These findings support the feasibility of developing microemulsions with reduced surfactant content, in alignment with safety considerations

Phytol-loaded soybean oil nanoemulsion as a promising alternative against Leishmania amazonensis

• Victória Louise Pinto Freire,
• Mariana Farias Alves-Silva,
• Johny W. de Freitas Oliveira,
• Matheus de Freitas Fernandes-Pedrosa,
• Alianda Maira Cornélio,
• Marcelo de Souza-Silva,
• Thayse Silva Medeiros and
• Arnóbio Antônio da Silva Junior

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1826–1836, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.126

• surface curvature and increased solute concentration at the droplet interface in the aqueous phase. Such structural features can promote a higher drug flux and localized delivery in the skin layers [34][35][36]. Chiu et al. (2024) reported a significant increase in curcumin skin permeability when carried

Exploring the potential of polymers: advancements in oral nanocarrier technology

• Rousilândia de Araujo Silva,
• Igor Eduardo Silva Arruda,
• Luise Lopes Chaves,
• Mônica Felts de La Roca Soares and
• Jose Lamartine Soares Sobrinho

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1751–1793, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.122

• administration [32]. The ionic interaction between alginate and chitosan, forming smart, pH-sensitive polyelectrolytic nanocomposites [147], recently led Silvestre et al. [99] to encapsulate curcumin within alginate–chitosan NPs. Curcumin, a hydrophobic molecule that degrades rapidly under alkaline conditions

• and other environments, has significant biomedical applications [148]. In this study, NPs were incorporated into biofilms for oral administration, demonstrating controlled release and effective protection of curcumin from external factors. The results discussed in this section highlight the potential

Prospects of nanotechnology and natural products for cancer and immunotherapy

• Jan Filipe Andrade Santos,
• Marcela Bernardes Brasileiro,
• Pamela Danielle Cavalcante Barreto,
• Ligiane Aranha Rocha and
• José Adão Carvalho Nascimento Júnior

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1644–1667, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.116

• modulate immune checkpoints, such as curcumin seen in patents CN111202719 and US240447339, and terpenoids with direct anticancer activity, such as paclitaxel, observed in patent CN111202719 [46][47][48][49][50]. Moreover, natural products play a promising role in cancer treatment and immunotherapy. Their

• membrane potential investigation using 2 μg·mL−1 of NPs for 12 h determined that the formulation induced early apoptosis in the targeted cells [70]. Patent CN111202719 (2020) utilized a nanosystem containing ursolic acid and oleanolic acid, paclitaxel, curcumin, camptothecin, and polyvinyl alcohol as APIs

• such as controlled drug release. The patent US240447339 (2017) involves the creation of PNCs. These PNCs utilized a range of bioactive compounds, such as diindolylmethane (DIM) and ellagic acid (EA), both as APIs, curcumin, green tea polyphenols, resveratrol, sulforaphane, and tocopherols. DIM is one

Hydrogels and nanogels: effectiveness in dermal applications

• Jéssica da Cruz Ludwig,
• Diana Fortkamp Grigoletto,
• Daniele Fernanda Renzi,
• Wolf-Rainer Abraham,
• Daniel de Paula and
• Najeh Maissar Khalil

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1216–1233, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.90

• for topical therapy. Nanoparticle-loaded hydrogels have proven to be promising carrier systems to deliver mometasone furoate [186], clobetasol propionate [198], and curcumin [185] for psoriasis therapy. For treating atopic dermatitis, PVA/alginate hydrogel loaded with prednisolone showed effective

Fabrication of metal complex phthalocyanine and porphyrin nanoparticle aqueous colloids by pulsed laser fragmentation in liquid and their potential application to a photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy

• Taisei Himeda,
• Risako Kunitomi,
• Ryosuke Nabeya,
• Tamotsu Zako and
• Tsuyoshi Asahi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1088–1096, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.80

• acetate [23], paclitaxel [24], naproxen and fenofibrate [25], curcumin [26], and cinnamon [27]. This work aims to fabricate aqueous colloids of MPc (M = AlCl, Fe, Co, Zn) and Pt complex octaethylporphyrin (PtOEP) (Figure 1) nanoparticles with a high dispersion stability and to demonstrate the potential

Efficiency of single-pulse laser fragmentation of organic nutraceutical dispersions in a circular jet flow-through reactor

• Tina Friedenauer,
• Maximilian Spellauge,
• Alexander Sommereyns,
• Verena Labenski,
• Tuba Esatbeyoglu,
• Christoph Rehbock,
• Heinz P. Huber and
• Stephan Barcikowski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 711–727, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.55

• laser fragmentation in liquids with ultrashort-pulsed lasers was studied in a circular jet reactor using curcumin and cannabidiol as model substances and single-pulse-per-volume element conditions to compare the fragmentation efficiency for these two nutraceuticals. Fragmentation efficiency based on the

• concentrations. In all experiments, chemical degradation was minimal (<2%), and increased mass concentration of curcumin enabled ultralow by-product formation of 0.01%. The process selectivity against degradation was defined by the application-relevant descriptor of mole degradation per produced submicrometer

• particle surface and quantified regarding feedstock mass concentration and nutraceutical type. Cytotoxicity in HepG2 cancer cells was significantly reduced in cells treated with laser-processed curcumin in comparison to unirradiated curcumin controls, and antioxidant effects were proven, ensuring high

Nanomaterials in targeting amyloid-β oligomers: current advances and future directions for Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and therapy

• Shiwani Randhawa,
• Trilok Chand Saini,
• Manik Bathla,
• Rahul Bhardwaj,
• Rubina Dhiman and
• Amitabha Acharya

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 561–580, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.44

• , Parikh et al. developed a curcumin-loaded self-nanomicellizing solid dispersion system (Cur-SNSDS) to significantly enhance the in vivo bioavailability of curcumin. This novel NP system demonstrated superior safety and efficacy in mitigating Aβ42 oligomer-induced toxicity in SH-SY5Y695 APP human

• neuroblastoma cells compared to pure curcumin. Moreover, the Cur-SNSDS system effectively prevented cognitive decline in aged APPSwe/PS1deE9 mice, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic intervention for AD [60]. Ultimately, these diverse examples illustrate the transformative, versatile, and effective

• (PLGA) and grafted with surface 83-14 monoclonal antibody (MAb). These NPs were designed to deliver rosmarinic acid (RA) and curcumin (CUR) across the BBB and improve the viability of SK-N-MC cells damaged by amyloid deposits. The researchers found that increasing the concentration of 83-14 MAb on the

Fabrication and evaluation of BerNPs regarding the growth and development of Streptococcus mutans

• Tuyen Huu Nguyen,
• Hong Thanh Pham,
• Kieu Kim Thanh Nguyen,
• Loan Hong Ngo,
• Anh Ngoc Tuan Mai,
• Thu Hoang Anh Lam,
• Ngan Thi Kim Phan,
• Dung Tien Pham,
• Duong Thuy Hoang,
• Thuc Dong Nguyen and
• Lien Thi Xuan Truong

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 308–315, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.23

• materials with novel properties. The development of substances and methods with enhanced water dispersibility and bioavailability from materials such as berberine and curcumin is a current trend. Several studies on the nanofabrication of berberine aimed at improving its bioavailability and evaluating its

Nanocarriers and macrophage interaction: from a potential hurdle to an alternative therapeutic strategy

• Naths Grazia Sukubo,
• Paolo Bigini and
• Annalisa Morelli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 97–118, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.10

• expressed on KCs have also been targeted using molecules like phosphatidylserine (PS), which serves as a recognition signal for the phagocytosis of apoptotic cells. In a study by Wang et al., PS-modified lipid carriers loaded with curcumin (Cur–mNLCs) demonstrated improved retention time, bioavailability

Polymer lipid hybrid nanoparticles for phytochemical delivery: challenges, progress, and future prospects

• Iqra Rahat,
• Pooja Yadav,
• Aditi Singhal,
• Mohammad Fareed,
• Jaganathan Raja Purushothaman,
• Mohammed Aslam,
• Raju Balaji,
• Sonali Patil-Shinde and
• Md. Rizwanullah

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1473–1497, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.118

• below. Pharmaceutical attributes with major outcomes are summarized in Table 1 at the end of this section. Curcumin Curcumin (CUR) is a yellow, bioactive compound derived from the rhizome of the plant Curcuma longa, commonly known as turmeric [76]. This polyphenolic substance has been traditionally used

Recent updates in applications of nanomedicine for the treatment of hepatic fibrosis

• Damai Ria Setyawati,
• Fransiska Christydira Sekaringtyas,
• Riyona Desvy Pratiwi,
• A’liyatur Rosyidah,
• Rohimmahtunnissa Azhar,
• Nunik Gustini,
• Gita Syahputra,
• Idah Rosidah,
• Etik Mardliyati,
• Tarwadi and
• Sjaikhurrizal El Muttaqien

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1105–1116, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.89

• plant-derived compounds, curcumin is an ideal representative of phytocompounds with antifibrosis activity. Despite a large volume of published reports on curcumin, curcumin’s major constraints in clinical trials include short biological half-life in plasma and low bioavailability. To solve these

• limitations, nanoencapsulation of curcumin has been developed, and some of these formulas are undergoing clinical trial evaluation [48][49][50]. By exploiting this technique, the oral bioavailability of encapsulated curcumin could be improved at least ninefold compared to curcumin administered with piperine

• as an absorption enhancer [51]. The therapeutic potential of curcumin using nanoformulations was reviewed by several researchers, summarizing recent curcumin encapsulation works on various NP platforms (liposomes, solid lipid NPs, micelles, and polymeric NPs) [52][53]. For example, polymeric

When nanomedicines meet tropical diseases

• Eder Lilia Romero,
• Katrien Van Bocxlaer and
• Fabio Rocha Formiga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 830–832, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.69

• approach against leishmaniasis [4]. Dourado and collaborators, who showed the therapeutic potential of curcumin-loaded nanocarriers, have also focused their review on these vector-borne NTDs [5]. With an emphasis on the treatment of schistosomiasis using nanoparticles, Carvalho and colleagues provided a

Radiofrequency enhances drug release from responsive nanoflowers for hepatocellular carcinoma therapy

• Yanyan Wen,
• Ningning Song,
• Yueyou Peng,
• Weiwei Wu,
• Qixiong Lin,
• Minjie Cui,
• Rongrong Li,
• Qiufeng Yu,
• Sixue Wu,
• Yongkang Liang,
• Wei Tian and
• Yanfeng Meng

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 569–579, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.49

• leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, and systemic chemotherapy is the preferred treatment modality for advanced HCC. Curcumin (CUR) is a polyphenolic antineoplastic drug with low toxicity obtained from plants. However, its low bioavailability and poor

• significantly suppressed HCC cell proliferation. Moreover, CUR-Fe@MnO2 NFs were effective T1/T2 contrast agents for molecular magnetic resonance imaging due to the release of Mn2+ and Fe3O4 NCs. Keywords: curcumin; hepatocellular carcinoma; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); radiofrequency (RF) hyperthermia

• pursuit of enhanced therapeutic effects and reduced side effects [9]. Among these, curcumin (CUR), a natural plant-derived polyphenolic drug, has garnered considerable attention due to its potential in treating HCC [10][11][12][13]. Curcumin can promote HCC cell apoptosis by activating p38, a cancer

Classification and application of metal-based nanoantioxidants in medicine and healthcare

• Nguyen Nhat Nam,
• Nguyen Khoi Song Tran,
• Tan Tai Nguyen,
• Nguyen Ngoc Trai,
• Nguyen Phuong Thuy,
• Hoang Dang Khoa Do,
• Nhu Hoa Thi Tran and
• Kieu The Loan Trinh

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 396–415, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.36

• also decrease monocyte recruitment at inflammatory sites by balancing ROS levels [94]. Another modern strategy for developing anti-inflammatory nanodrugs is coupling transition metals with natural antioxidants. For example, Yuan et al. synthesized Fe-curcumin nanoparticles (Fe-Cur NPs) possessing

• , which are a cluster of hundreds to thousands atoms aggregated together [135]. The potential of natural antioxidant nanodelivery systems for treating age-related metabolic disorders has been proved in both in vivo and in vitro studies. For example, a nanoparticle-based formulation of curcumin exhibited

• better anti-aging properties than natural curcumin. By encapsulating curcumin in nanocarriers or by conjugating it to metal oxide nanoparticles, the solubility and bioavailability of curcumin have been substantially improved, leading to a rise in its pharmacological efficiency [136][137][138][139

Nanomedicines against Chagas disease: a critical review

• Maria Jose Morilla,
• Kajal Ghosal and
• Eder Lilia Romero

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 333–349, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.30

• murine models, PLGA Nps (PLGA-CUR Nps) loaded with curcumin (the most active polyphenolic flavonoid constituent of Curcuma longa rhizomes with low bioavailability) and free BNZ, induced anti-inflammatory effects and cardiac protection. A low BNZ dose (750 mg/kg TD) plus PLGA-CUR Nps, reduced cardiac

• in leukocyte recruitment and cardiac remodelling [76]. More recently, Theracurmin® (a natural product of Theravalues, Tokyo, Japan, that enhances the curcumin bioavailability 30-fold compared with curcumin powder [77][78]) showed immunomodulatory (reduced CCL2 in cardiac tissue, IL-15 in cardiac and

Curcumin-loaded nanostructured systems for treatment of leishmaniasis: a review

• Douglas Dourado,
• Thayse Silva Medeiros,
• Éverton do Nascimento Alencar,
• Edijane Matos Sales and
• Fábio Rocha Formiga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 37–50, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.4

• have drawbacks which compromise efficacy and patient compliance. To face this global health concern, new alternatives for the treatment of leishmaniasis have been explored. Curcumin, a polyphenol obtained from the rhizome of turmeric, exhibits leishmanicidal activity against different species of

• solving biopharmaceutical challenges associated with drugs, such as curcumin. From a drug delivery standpoint, nanocarriers (1–1000 nm) can improve stability, increase solubility, promote intracellular delivery, and increase biological activity. Thus, this review offers a deep look into curcumin-loaded

• disease continues to be of utmost importance [9]. Current studies have highlighted curcumin as a promising antiparasitic alternative [10]. Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is a yellow polyphenol extracted from the rhizome of Curcuma longa, popularly known as turmeric [11][12][13]. This molecule presents a

Nanotechnological approaches in the treatment of schistosomiasis: an overview

• Lucas Carvalho,
• Michelle Sarcinelli and
• Beatriz Patrício

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 13–25, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.2

• an encouraging prognosis for the development of future products [56]. Curcumin is a naturally yellow pigment obtained from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa. In the literature, many articles explore anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, anti-infectious, and antitumoral properties of curcumin [58

• ]. Mokbel et al. [59] showed that curcumin associated with a half-dose of PZQ and gold nanoparticles reduced the worm load in infected mice more than PZQ alone. This information is crucial since most side effects presented by patients who use PZQ could be avoided if there was a way to reduce the drug dose

• . Despite that, the combination could not reduce egg count more than that with PZQ alone. Nonetheless, the author affirms in the presentation of their results that the combination is more effective than the use of PZQ alone in this aspect [59]. Luz et al. [58] showed that curcumin encapsulated by polymeric

Curcumin-loaded albumin submicron particles with potential as a cancer therapy: an in vitro study

• Nittiya Suwannasom,
• Netsai Sriaksorn,
• Chutamas Thepmalee,
• Krissana Khoothiam,
• Ausanai Prapan,
• Hans Bäumler and
• Chonthida Thephinlap

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1127–1140, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.93

• University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand Division of Microbiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Phayao 56000, Thailand Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany 10.3762/bjnano.14.93 Abstract Curcumin (CUR), a polyphenolic compound, shows

• to confirm the uptake of CUR-HSA-MPs by cancer cells. Our studies revealed that HSA-MPs are potentially promising vehicles for increasing the solubility and bioavailability of CUR. Keywords: albumin submicron particles; cancer therapy; curcumin; drug delivery; Introduction Curcumin (CUR) is a

• increased albumin endocytosis and a greater uptake of curcumin bound to it into cancer cells [49][50]. Consequently, the use of CUR-HSA-MPs may be a more effective strategy than the use of free CUR for the treatment of cancer. Cell uptake Flow cytometry was employed for the quantitative determination of the

Recent advances in green carbon dots (2015–2022): synthesis, metal ion sensing, and biological applications

• Aisha Kanwal,
• Naheed Bibi,
• Sajjad Hyder,
• Arif Muhammad,
• Hao Ren,
• Jiangtao Liu and
• Zhongli Lei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1068–1107, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.93

• . Cysteine and EDA help in hydrolysis and dehydration, respectively, which are part of the bottom-up approach. After completion of aromatization, the N,S-doped CDs are made from nuclear bursts [5]. Pal et al. used branched-chain PEI (bPEI) as a surface passivator and curcumin as a green precursor to

Ethosomal (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate as a novel approach to enhance antioxidant, anti-collagenase and anti-elastase effects

• Çiğdem Yücel,
• Gökçe Şeker Karatoprak,
• Sena Yalçıntaş and
• Tuğba Eren Böncü

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 491–502, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.41

• cell line, one study investigated the anticancer activity of polymeric nanoparticles developed with many compounds (curcumin, EGCG, green tea extract, resveratrol, saponins, silymarin, and grape seed extract). Those nanoparticles target multiple signaling pathways and cause growth inhibitory effects on

Coordination-assembled myricetin nanoarchitectonics for sustainably scavenging free radicals

• Xiaoyan Ma,
• Haoning Gong,
• Kenji Ogino,
• Xuehai Yan and
• Ruirui Xing

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 284–291, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.23

• used for effectively scavenging multiple ROS. Metal-based nanomaterials, such as CeO2 and Fe3O4, have been widely applied for antioxidant therapy [10]. In addition, bioactive small-molecule compounds, such as bilirubin and curcumin, and antioxidant peptides such as glutathione (GSH) and casein

Self-assembly of amino acids toward functional biomaterials

• Huan Ren,
• Lifang Wu,
• Lina Tan,
• Yanni Bao,
• Yuchen Ma,
• Yong Jin and
• Qianli Zou

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1140–1150, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.85

• tumor site 24 h after injection. In contrast, no significant fluorescence was observed in mice injected with unencapsulated Ce6 12 h after injection. In addition, metal nanoparticles induce an effective tumor ablation, while unencapsulated Ce6 only partially inhibits tumor growth. Curcumin is a

• promising natural antitumor drug, which can inhibit the transformation, proliferation, and migration of tumor cells through various ways, and has anti-angiogenic activity and good biocompatibility [72]. However, the poor water solubility and low bioavailability of curcumin hinder its direct application [73

• ]. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an encapsulation system to improve the bioavailability of curcumin in the tumor microenvironment in order to achieve effective delivery of curcumin and improve the therapeutic effect [74]. Li et al. [75] dissolved 9-Fmoc-ʟ-histidine (Fmoc-H) in hexafluoropropofol or

Use of nanosystems to improve the anticancer effects of curcumin

• Andrea M. Araya-Sibaja,
• Norma J. Salazar-López,
• Krissia Wilhelm Romero,
• José R. Vega-Baudrit,
• J. Abraham Domínguez-Avila,
• Carlos A. Velázquez Contreras,
• Ramón E. Robles-Zepeda,
• Mirtha Navarro-Hoyos and
• Gustavo A. González-Aguilar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1047–1062, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.78

• , Hermosillo, Sonora 83000, México 10.3762/bjnano.12.78 Abstract Curcumin (CUR) is a phenolic compound that is safe for human consumption. It exhibits chemopreventive, antiproliferative, antiangiogenic, and antimetastatic effects. However, these benefits can be hampered due to the lipophilic nature, rapid

• disadvantages, such as the need for additional instrumentation to generate electromagnetic or ultrasonic waves, which may increase their cost and/or complexity. Curcumin (CUR) or diferuloylmethane is a phenolic compound extracted from turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizomes. It is safe for human consumption [13] and

• is known for its potentially beneficial health effects [14][15]. Searching for peer-reviewed publications using the term “curcumin” in PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus published during 2010–2020 results in 34.4, 20.4, and 26.6 thousand publications, respectively, of which 74.6%, 62.4%, and 33.4% are

The impact of molecular tumor profiling on the design strategies for targeting myeloid leukemia and EGFR/CD44-positive solid tumors

• Nikola Geskovski,
• Nadica Matevska-Geshkovska,
• Simona Dimchevska Sazdovska,
• Marija Glavas Dodov,
• Kristina Mladenovska and
• Katerina Goracinova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 375–401, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.31