CURCUMIN-LOADED SELF-EMULSIFYING SYSTEMS: A NOVEL APPROACH TO COUNTER STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS IN DIABETIC FOOT ULCERS

Abstract

Persistent hyperglycemia and related consequences, such diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), are hallmarks of diabetes mellitus (DM), that dramatically raise the risk of morbidity and mortality among the diabetic individuals. Multidrug-resistant organisms such as Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) are commonly found in DFUs, which makes treatment more difficult with current antibiotics. A possible remedy is curcumin, a polyphenolic substance having antibacterial qualities. Its bioavailability is increased when it is administered using Self- Emulsifying Drug Delivery Systems (SEDDS).

Methodology: A six-month cross-sectional experimental study was carried out to check the antibacterial activity of SEDDS loaded curcumin. SEDDS loaded with curcumin (cu-SEDDS) were made with a variety of oils, co-surfactants, and surfactants. A Zetasizer was used to characterize the formulations for droplet size, zeta potential, and polydispersity index (PDI). Agar well diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) techniques were used to measure antibacterial activity.

Results: The most effective cu-SEDDS formulation against S. aureus was F1, which exhibited the lowest MIC value (0.0507 ± 0.02 µg/mL) and a significant inhibition zone (14 ± 1 mm) among the five. Characterization showed that F1 was stable with a zeta potential of -2.34 mV, a PDI of 0.089, and a droplet size of 490.3 nm. The antibacterial efficacy of formulations varied F1 has better activity than others.

Conclusion: Curcumin-loaded SEDDS formulations offer a novel

 and effective approach to managing DFU-associated S. aureus infections.