Preparation and Antitumor-promoting Activity of Curcumin Encapsulated by 1,3-β-Glucan Isolated from Vietnam Medicinal Mushroom Hericium erinaceum

The clinical application of curcumin in cancer treatment is considerably limited due to its serious poor delivery characteristics. In order to increase the hydrophilicity and drug delivery capability, we encapsulated curcumin into 1,3-beta-glucan isolated from Vietnam medicinal mushroom Hericium erinaceum. The 1,3-beta-glucan-encapsulated curcumin nanoparticles (Cur-Glu) were found to be spherical with an average size of 50 nm, being suitable for drug delivery applications. They were much more soluble in water not only than free curcumin but also than other biodegradable polymer-encapsulated curcumin nanoparticles. An antitumor-promoting assay was carried out, showing the positive effects of Cur-Glu on tumor promotion of Hep-G2 cell line in vitro.