Micronization of curcumin with biodegradable polymer by supercritical anti-solvent using micro swirl mixer

Curcumin is a hydrophobic polyphenol compound exhibiting a wide range of biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-carcinogenic, anti-human immunodeficiency virus, and antimicrobial activity. In this work, a swirl mixer was employed to produce the micronized curcumin with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) by the supercritical anti-solvent process to improve the bioavailability of curcumin. The effects of operating parameters such as curcumin/PVP ratio, feed concentration, temperature, pressure, and CO₂ flow rate were investigated. The characterization and solubility of particles were determined by using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, and ultra-violet-visible spectroscopy. The result shows that the optimal condition for the production of curcumin/PVP particles is at curcumin/PVP ratio of 1:30, feed concentration of 5 mg·mL⁻¹, temperature of 40 °C, pressure of 15 MPa, and CO₂ flow rate of 15 mL·min⁻¹. Moreover, the dissolution of curcumin/PVP particles is faster than that of raw curcumin.