Abstract:
Curcumin and thymoquinone are well-known phytochemicals. However, these natural bio-actives poor water solubility and restricted penetration impede their effective delivery and potential therapeutic result. This study was carried out to design and characterize a novel solid self-micro emulsifying drug delivery system of class IV drugs by adsorption approach employing Syloid®244 FP as the solid carrier for solubility increase of Curcumin and Thymoquinone. The optimized liquid SMEDDS for Curcumin and Thymoquinone contains 30:15:45 oil Oleic acid, surfactant Tween20, and co-surfactant PEG 400. It demonstrated good self-emulsification performance and a clear appearance. Characterization investigations revealed that solidification using 50% (w/w) Syloid®244 FP in the liquid formulation results in a free-flowing powder with no agglomeration. The liquid and solid SMEDDS formulations created a fine oil-in-water microemulsion with mean globule sizes of 153±7.4 nm respectively. As a phosphate buffer pH 6.8 dissolution environment, the drug synthesized as solid SMEDDS was swiftly and thoroughly dissolved (90%) within 120 minutes, but crude curcumin powder was much less soluble. The Curcumin-Thymoquinone loaded SMEDDS demonstrated strong antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, antifungal activity against Candida albicans, and moderate antibacterial activity against Escherichia coliin antimicrobial assays. Curcumin-Thymoquinone loaded-SMEDDS formulation in liquid & solid dosage forms were successfully developed with an increased drug loading and dissolution rate, which could be the potential combined delivery system for various anti-bacterial and anti-fungal treatments.

Keywords: Curcumin, Thymoquinone, SMEDDS, Adsorbent, Solubility Improvement, Combined Therapeutic Effects.