Bioaccessibility and Absorption of Curcumin: A Look into γ-Cyclodextrin Metal-Organic Frameworks

Curcumin has long been recognized for its potential pharmacological effects. However, its bioaccessibility and bioavailability remain low. To address this limitation, we evaluated the efficiency of delivery via curcumin-encapsulated γ-cyclodextrin metal-organic frameworks (Cur-γ-CD-MOFs), in comparison to coarse emulsions formulated with sodium caseinate and Tween 80, using simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. Bioaccessibility of curcumin was highest when encapsulated in γ-CD-MOFs, if delivered as a capsule to avoid exposure to gastric conditions, achieving a sixfold increase compared to native (non-encapsulated) curcumin and significantly higher than the emulsion systems if exposed to gastric conditions (due to the structural instability of γ-CD-MOFs under acidic gastric conditions). It was also demonstrated that, prolonged solubilization of curcumin via capsule-delivered γ-CD-MOFs throughout in vitro gastrointestinal digestion enhanced its transport and absorption across the mouse intestinal epithelial tissue. This highlights the potential of γ-CD-MOFs as an effective delivery system for improving bioaccessibility and absorption of bioactive compounds.