Encapsulamento de extrato de Curcuma longa com líquido iônico

Abstract

Although there are cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, these are extremely invasive and sometimes ineffective to cancer. Thus, alternative treatments using medicinal plants are available in order to enable cancer patients more humanized treatments without side effects. Curcuma longa is a plant characterized as medicinal and has active principles, such as curcumin, which has several pharmacological properties. Thus, the present study aimed to produce microcapsules, via spray dryer, containing extract of C. longa, with antiproliferative/antitumor properties, having as carrier sodium alginate, hydrophilic polymer and widely used in the food industry and as a crosslinker, calcium chloride and choline chloride ionic liquid, which has low acquisition cost and is non-toxic to normal cells and sustainable to the environment. The hydroalcoholic extract of C. longa showed no cytotoxic effect in normal cells, but was able to inhibit the proliferation of renal and hepatic cancer cells at a concentration of 1000 μg L-1. In addition, the microencapsulation of the extract was efficient and was proven by scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectrum in the middle region with Fourier transform and control of drug release. It was concluded that it was possible to produce a potential drug based on C. longa and choline chloride with controlled and efficient release.