Ciri-ciri kurkumin yang susah larut dalam cecair dan kurang bioavailabiliti oral telah menghadkan potensinya. Niosom menonjol sebagai penyampai ubat sistem vesikuler bukan ionik yang stabil dan boleh memuatkan ubat hidrofobik and hidrofilik. Tujuan kajian ini adalah untuk menghasilkan formulasi-formulasi niosomal yang diperolehi daripada campuran Span-80 dan Tween-80. Niosom telah disediakan dengan kaedah penghidratan filem nipis menggunakan Tween-80 dan Span-80 dengan nisbah 1:1, 1:9, 2:3, dan 3:2. Pengaruh nisbah-nisbah ini terhadap kecekapan pemerangkapan (EE%) dan kestabilan telah dikaji. Ia didapati bahawa semua nisbah ini berjaya menghasilkan niosom yang diisi dengan kurkumin kecuali nisbah 9:1 (HLB 13.93). Imej bawah mikroskop mengesahkan penebaran niosom berbentuk sfera dan terdapat ruang berair dalaman. EE% niosom berubah dari 3.99% hingga 19.51% dan Formulasi 2 memberi nilai yang tertinggi. Peningkatan nilai imbangan hidrofilik-lipofilik akan menghasilkan EE% yang lebih tinggi. Formulasi yang telah disimpan bawah -4ºC paling stabil dan ia mempunyai 97.94% hingga 98.14% pengurangan dalam EE%. Saiz niosom meningkat dan mula beragregat apabila suhu dan masa semakin bertambah disebabkan kestabilan yang telah berkurang. Kaedah penyediaan niosom akan menjejaskan EE%. Niosom yang disediakan dengan mencampurkan kurkumin dengan pelarut organik sebelum penyejatan memberikan EE% yang lebih tinggi iaitu 8.78%. Kelarutan kurkumin juga didapati telah meningkat selepas memuatkannya dalam niosom. Keputusan dalam kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa Formulasi 2 yang mempunyai nilai HLB yang terendah. Formulasi ini paling menjanjikan manifestasi klinikal dalam masa depan kerana kestabilannya yang memanjangkan dan EE% yang lebih tinggi.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
The lack of solubility in aqueous solvent and poor oral bioavailability have limited the optimum potential of curcumin. Niosome stands out as a non-ionic stable drug delivery vesicular system which can accommodate both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs. The aim of the present study was to develop niosomal formulations obtained from the mixture of Span-80 and Tween-80 that could encapsulate curcumin for increasing its biopharmaceutical properties. The curcumin-loaded niosomes were prepared by using thin film hydration method with 1:1, 1:9, 9:1, 2:3 and 3:2 of Tween-80 and Span-80. The influence of formulations on drug entrapment efficiency (EE%) and stability were investigated. It was found out that all ratios of surfactants could produce curcumin-loaded niosome except for 9:1 Tween-80 and Span-80 (HLB 13.93). Bright Field Microscope confirmed that the niosomal dispersions were spherical in shape and have define internal aqueous space. The entrapment efficiency of the curcumin-loaded niosome varied between 3.99% and 19.51% and Formulation 2 (Tween 80: Span 80, 1:9) gave the highest entrapment efficiency. The increment in Hydrophilic-lipophilic Balance (HLB) value will bring out higher EE% formulation. The most stable formulation was kept under -4 ºC which having about 97.94% to 98.14% reduction in entrapment efficiency of niosomal formulations. The size of the curcumin-loaded niosome increased and they started to aggregate when the temperature and time increasing due to reduction in stability. Curcumin-loaded niosome prepared by mixing curcumin with organic solvent before evaporated would gave a higher entrapment efficiency of 8.78%. The curcumin was also proven to have an obvious improvement of the solubility by encapsulating it into the niosome. The results indicated that formulation 2 with lowest HLB value is a promising formulation for future clinical manifestation due to prolong stability and greater entrapment efficiency.