Curcumin Encapsulated Poly(Glycerol-Citric acid) (PGCA) basedDendrimers: Synthesis, Characterisation and their antimicrobial activity

Abstract

Poly (glycerol-citric acid) (PGCA) dendrimers were synthesised using a polyesterification process and characterized by various physico-chemical characterization techniques such as FTIR, DLS, and UV Spectroscopy etc. The PGCA dendrimer is chosen because it is non-toxic and biocompatible due to the presence of glycerol and citric acid. The latter are natural compounds that are widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Curcumin is a naturally occurring antimicrobial compound that is poorly soluble in water. Curcumin was encapsulated inside the PGCA dendrimer. When tested against Gram-positive bacteria, the antimicrobial activity of the curcumin-PGCA dendrimers was found to be higher than that of free curcumin. The higher microbial activity of curcumin-PGCA dendrimers can be attributed to increased solubility of curcumin, enhanced formulation stability and efficient cellular uptake of the curcumin due to the nano-meter size of the dendrimers. The present study on PGCA-based dendrimers opens the opportunity to deliver hydrophobic drugs for antibacterial and medicinal applications.