Nanoincorporation of curcumin in polymer-glycerosomes and evaluation of their in vitro–in vivo suitability as pulmonary delivery systems

The aim of this work was to deliver curcumin into the lungs by incorporating it into innovative vesicles obtained using phospholipids and high concentrations of glycerol (50%, v/v), so called glycerosomes, which were then combined with two polymers: sodium hyaluronate and trimethyl chitosan to form polymer-glycerosomes. These systems were prepared without the use of organic solvents or acidic solutions and their physico-chemical properties were fully characterized. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering showed that both glycerosomes and polymer-glycerosomes were spherical, mainly unilamellar and of nanometric size (65–112 nm). The vesicles were readily n…