Quaternary ammonium poly (amidoamine) dendrimeric encapsulated nanocurcumin efficiently prevents cataract of rat pups through regulation of pro-inflammatory gene expression

Curcumin with its plethora of potential health benefits bears limitations of poor aqueous solubility and bioavailability. In order to alleviate this crucial drawback, the present study focuses development of a nanocurcumin formulation using functionalized poly amidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer (third generation) with encapsulated curcumin and characterized. The efficiency of this nanocurcumin to prevent and or cure the selenite induced cataract in wistar rat pups compare to native curcumin was assessed through the expression of pro-inflammatory genes using in vivo and human infant lens epithelial (HLE-B3) cells in vitro systems. The solubility of functionalized nanocurcumin increased 345-fold and also in vitro release of curcumin prolonged nearly 17 times compared to native curcumin. Furthermore, nano-curcumin alleviated cataracts in orally dosed rat pups at 2.5 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) in both pre- and post-selenite treatment. This is in contrast to earlier studies that utilized much higher doses (75 mg/kg b. w.) of native curcumin that also fared with limited impact post-selenite treatment. In addition, nano-curcumin proves as effectively as native curcumin in reducing cell death, RNA degradation and gene expression of iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase) level induced by selenite. Thus, the formulated non-toxic encapsulated curcumin in nano-form using QPAMAM that can offset major limitations to its native counterpart with increased solubility, sustained release and increased bioavailability, prevented oxidant mediated cataract development and found promising. [Display omitted]