Solubilization Properties of Hydrophobic Curcumin by Bile Salt/Lipid Mixed Micelles

The solubility of curcumin was determined in dietary mixed micelles consisting of mixed bile salts, phospholipids and triglyceride hydrolytic products (fatty acids and monoglycerides) which can simulate the liquid in intestine at fast or fed state, to predict the extent of curcumin solubilization and thus absorption in vivo. In this paper, excessive solid curcumin was solubilized in micellar solution of bile salts alone or bile salts plus different lipid compositions. The results showed that the micellar solubility of curcumin significantly increased when the bile salt concentration was above its CMC (5 mmol/L). The micellar solubilisation was much higher at fed state than fasted state, but there was no significant difference in its solubility when different lipid compositions were incorporated into the mixed micelles or lipid concentration changed.