Issue 13, 2011

The role of coordination chemistry in the development of innovative gallium-based bioceramics: the case of curcumin

Abstract

Curcumin, an active ingredient in the traditional Ayurvedic herbal remedy [Curcuma longa L.], is nowadays also employed in western medicine for its pleiotropic activities, ranging from anticancer to its free radical scavenger ability. These features are related to curcumin's function as a metal chelator, especially being selective for hard Lewis acids, such as Ga3+ which has interesting pharmacological activities. We report the synthesis and characterization of bioactive gel and mesoporous Ga-containing phospho-silicate glasses loaded with curcumin, in which, for the first time, the design of novel drug delivery systems takes advantage of coordination chemistry. In particular, it was found that: (i) there is a direct correlation between the external surface area and the amount of loaded curcumin; (ii) the presence of Ga3+ species on the surface increases the quantity of drug molecules uploaded and slows down their release in the biological medium (SBF), hinting a coordination-like interaction between curcumin and the surface metal ions; (iii) curcumin molecules released in the SBF solution stabilize Ga3+ ions, avoiding their precipitation.

Graphical abstract: The role of coordination chemistry in the development of innovative gallium-based bioceramics: the case of curcumin

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
11 Oct 2010
Accepted
05 Jan 2011
First published
16 Feb 2011

J. Mater. Chem., 2011,21, 5027-5037

The role of coordination chemistry in the development of innovative gallium-based bioceramics: the case of curcumin

M. Gianluca, F. Erika, L. Gigliola, A. Valentina, F. Francesca, M. Claudio, P. Francesca, S. Monica and M. Ledi, J. Mater. Chem., 2011, 21, 5027 DOI: 10.1039/C0JM03421E

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