Beyond Yellow Curry: Assessing Commercial Curcumin Absorption Technologies

Figures & data

Fig. 1. Three major curcuminoids.

Fig. 2. Curcumin transformation pathways and major conjugates/metabolites.

Table 1. Commercial Curcuminoid Formulations Discussed in the Text

Name	Formulation	Range of Reported Bioavailability Compared to C95	Reference
C95: curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin	95% Curcuminoid powder with uncontrolled particle size
MCTO: micronized curcuminoids plus turmeric oil	95% Controlled particle-size curcuminoids plus turmeric oil	≥5-Fold greater than C95 in humans, but analytical details unclear	[22–25]
CPC: curcuminoid phospholipid complex	18%–20% Total curcuminoids; 40% by weight each phosphatidylcholine from soy lecithin and microcrystalline cellulose	20-Fold greater than curcumin alone, 30-fold greater than total curcuminoids based on human and animal data	[20,22,27,33]
CCC: curcuminoid cyclodextrin complex	ca. 14% Curcuminoids; formulated with ∼2:1 γ-cyclodextrin:curcuminoid molar ratio	45-Fold greater than C95 from unpublished animal and human data; marketing materials claim 10- to 20-fold more curcuminoids in serum; unclear basis of comparisons, whether in terms of total mass or curcuminoid equivalents	[34–37]
LCP: lipid curcumin particles	20%–30% Total curcuminoids; phospholipids (soy-derived), docosahexaenoic acid and/or vegetable stearic acid, ascorbyl (vitamin C) esters, and other inert ingredients	Marketing materials claim 65-fold better absorption of free curcumin from one small human study with methodological anomalies and an unclear indication of how the absorption multiplier was determined	[38,39]
DNC: dispersed nanoparticle curcumin	10% Curcumin, 2% other curcuminoids mixed with glycerin (46%), gum ghatti (4%), and water (38%) followed by wet milling and dispersion using high-pressure homogenization	∼27-Fold on a curcumin equivalent basis as shown in 2 human trials	[21,40–44]
HCDC: hydrophilic carrier dispersed curcuminoids	Curcuminoids (20 wt%) and antioxidants (tocopherol and ascorbyl palmitate) dispersed onto water-soluble carriers such as polyvinyl pyrrolidone and cellulose derivatives and a small amount of fat in unknown proportions	45.9-Fold more bioavailable than C95	[45–48]

Table 2. Pharmacokinetic Parameters of Curcuminoid Concentrations Area under the Curve (AUC), C_max, t_max, and Relative Molar Absorption for Each Treatment. [47]

Curcuminoid	Formulation	AUC0-12 (ng/mL•hr)	Cmax (ng/mL)	tmax (h)	Relative Molar Absorption (F)
Curcumin	C95	10.8 ± 1.7	2.3 ± 0.3	7.4 ± 1.0	1.0
	MCTO	5.8 ± 0.1	0.5 ± 0.0	3.2 ± 1.0	2.6
	CPC	28.7 ± 2.6	2.8 ± 0.3	1.7 ± 1.0	12.7
	HCDC	307.6 ± 44.6	27.3 ± 6.4	1.4 ± 0.5	136.3
Total curcuminoids	C95	39.6 ± 1.5	5.2 ± 0.2	9.5 ± 0.2	1.0
	MCTO	10.9 ± 0.4	1.1 ± 0.1	1.8 ± 0.7	1.3
	CPC	65.3 ± 2.3	8.7 ± 0.4	1.7 ± 0.4	7.9
	HCDC	380.0 ± 23.9	34.9 ± 3.3	1.7 ± 0.4	45.9

C95 = curcuminoid powder, MCTO = micronized curcuminoids plus turmeric oil, CPC = curcuminoid phospholipid complex, HCDC = hydrophilic carrier dispersed curcuminoids.

Table 3. Relative Efficiency of Curcumin Formulations to Increase Plasma Levels of Total Curcuminoids per Unit of Formulation Mass. CWP_MCTO = 0.95, CWP_CPC = 0.20, CWP_HCDC = 0.20, CWP_CCC = 0.14

Curcuminoid	Efficiency Comparison	Relative Mass Efficiency (E)
Total curcuminoids	CPC:MCTO	1.3
	CCC:CPC	4.0
	CCC:MCTO	5.1
	HCDC:CCC	1.5
	HCDC:CPC	5.8
	HCDC:MCTO	7.4

CPC = curcuminoid phospholipid complex, MCTO = micronized curcuminoids plus turmeric oil, CCC = curcuminoid cyclodextrin complex, HCDC = hydrophilic carrier dispersed curcuminoids.

^# Approximated.

Jäger R, Lowery RP, Calvanese A, Joy JM, Purpura M, Wilson JM: Comparative absorption of curcumin formulations. Nutr J 13:1–8, 2014.

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