Coating of carboxymethyl dextran on liposomal curcumin to improve the anticancer activity

In this work, carboxymethyl dextran (CMD), a polysaccharidic dextran derivative with well-known biocompatibility and biodegradability, was used to modify curcumin-loaded liposomes for improving the anticancer efficacy of curcumin. The CMDylated curcumin-loaded liposomes (CMD-Cur-Lip) were successfully prepared and characterized in comparison with unmodified and two PEGylated curcumin-loaded liposomes. The results showed that: (1) the encapsulation efficiency of curcumin in the liposomes was improved after being modified with CMD; (2) all the curcumin-loaded liposomes displayed controlled release characteristics; (3) the CMD-Cur-Lip demonstrated improved cell cytotoxicity against cancer cells, as compared to other liposomal formulations and free curcumin; (4) CMD-Cur-Lip exhibited the highest cellular uptake as compared to other liposomal formulations.