Curcumin-whey protein solid dispersion system with improved solubility and cancer cell inhibitory effect

The solid dispersion system containing a high amount of the natural compound curcumin was prepared with whey protein concentrate by spray-drying method in 5:1 molar ratio. X-ray powder diffraction and DSC techniques show the formation of the solid dispersion system in amorphous state, and the presence of weak hydrogen bond type interactions between the components was established by FTIR analysis. SEM images show highly homogeneous donut-like spherical microparticles morphology for the system. The solubility of curcumin from the system was enhanced compared to practically insoluble raw curcumin, reaching a value of 70 [micro]g/mL in aqueous buffer solution at pH=8 similar with intestinal environment. The synthesized material had better effects against skin melanoma cells, compared to lung adenocarcinoma cells, but in both cases the effect was promising, and through further and more complex analyses the antitumoral potential of CUC-WPC_SD could be exploited. Keywords: curcumin, whey protein concentrate, complexation, enhanced solubility, anticarcinogenic effect