Advances in lipo-solubility delivery vehicles for curcumin: bioavailability, precise targeting, possibilities and challenges

Abstract

Background

Curcumin (Cur) is a natural pigment containing a diketone structure, which has attracted extensive attention due to its strong functional activities. However, the low solubility and poor stability of Cur limit its low bioavailability and multi-function. It is essential to develop effective measures to improve the unfavorable nature of Cur and maximize its potential benefits in nutritional intervention.

Scope and approach

The focus of this review is to emphasize the construction of lipo-solubility delivery vehicles for Cur, including emulsion, nanoliposome and solid liposome. In addition, the potential benefits of vehicles-encapsulated Cur in the field of precise nutrition were summarized, including high targeting properties and multiple disease interventions. Further, the deficiencies and prospects of Cur encapsulated in vehicles for precise nutrition were discussed.

Key findings and conclusions

The well-designed lipo-solubility delivery vehicles for Cur can improve its stability in food processing and the digestion in vivo. To meet the nutritional requirements of special people for Cur-based products, the improvement of the bioavailability by using delivery vehicles will provide a theoretical basis for the precise nutrition of Cur in functional food.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Structural properties and bioavailability of curcumin were summarized.

• The practical problems and challenges in the utilization of curcumin were discussed.

• Various technologies for preparing lipo-solubility delivery vehicles for curcumin were described.

• The design of delivery vehicles for curcumin and intervention strategies in precise nutrition was reviewed.

Keywords:

• Lipo-solubility vehicles
• curcumin
• precise nutrition
• stability
• bioavailability

Author contributions

All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC, Grant No. 32201976), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20220586) and the high-level talent research start-up fund of Yangzhou University (137012572).