Abstract
Curcumin, a bioactive phenol derived from turmeric, is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial molecule. Although curcumin exhibits beneficial effects in its innate form, it is highly hydrophobic, which leads to poor water solubility and, consequently, low bioavailability. The lack of bioavailability limits curcumin's effectiveness as a treatment and restricts its use in clinical applications. Furthermore, to achieve beneficial, clinically relevant results, high doses of curcumin are required for systemic administration. Many researchers have utilized biomaterial carriers, including electrospun fibers, nanoparticles, hydrogels, and composite scaffolds, to overcome curcumin's principle therapeutic limitation of low bioavailability. By using biomaterials to deliver curcumin directly to injury sites, researchers have harnessed the beneficial natural properties of curcumin while providing scaffolding to support tissue regeneration. This review will provide an in-depth overview of the literature that utilizes biomaterial delivery of curcumin for tissue regeneration in injury and disease models.
Recommended Citation
A. E. Hamilton and R. J. Gilbert, "Curcumin Release from Biomaterials for Enhanced Tissue Regeneration Following Injury or Disease," Bioengineering, vol. 10, no. 2, article no. 262, MDPI, Feb 2023.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering10020262
Department(s)
Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
Publication Status
Open Access
Keywords and Phrases
biomaterials; curcumin; drug delivery; electrospun fibers; hydrogels; nanoparticles; regeneration; scaffolds
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
2306-5354
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2025 The Authors, All rights reserved.
Creative Commons Licensing
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Publication Date
01 Feb 2023
Comments
Health Services Research and Development, Grant 2217513