Abstract: Herein, curcumin (Cur) was encapsulated into poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles to improve the water solubility of Cur, and the formulation was optimized by single factor experiments. The surface of PLGA nanoparticles was modified by human transferrin (Tf) to improve the absorption efficiency of active substances by intestinal cells. Our findings indicated that the optimal preparation method for Cur-PLGA-NP was solvent volatilization and mixing the oil phase with the aqueous phase at a volume ratio of 1:2.5, the optimal loading ratio was 1:15, and the optimal mass concentration of emulsifier F68 was 0.3%. The uptake of Tf-modified PLGA nanoparticles (Tf-NP) by human colon cancer cell line HT-29 cells was significantly higher than that of the control, indicating that both the loading efficiency of Cur and its absorption by intestinal cells were significantly improved by using Tf-NP as a delivery vehicle for Cur. In summary, the absorption efficiency of Cur can be improved by modifying Cur-loaded PLGA nanoparticles with Tf, which provides a reference for the design of delivery systems for active substances with poor water solubility.

Key words: curcumin; poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles; human transferrin; active targeting; nanodelivery systems