Ultrasound-Assisted Liquid Antisolvent Method Enables Rapid Synthesis of Bioactive Nanocurcumin

Anitarakhmi Handaratri, Siti Fatimah, Bramantyo Airlangga, Firman Kurniawansyah, Sumarno Sumarno

Abstract

Curcumin, a bioactive compound derived from turmeric, has significant pharmacological potential but suffers from poor aqueous solubility (<10 μg/mL) and low bioavailability. To overcome these limitations, this study introduces a one-step ultrasound-assisted liquid antisolvent (UALA) precipitation method, integrating simultaneous sonication during solvent–antisolvent mixing to promote rapid nucleation and suppress particle aggregation. The method reduced particle size from >1000 nm to 255 nm (76% reduction), accompanied by a decrease in crystallinity from 58.7% to 21% and a reduction in enthalpy of fusion from 442.61 to 28.57 kJ/mol (93% decrease), indicating partial amorphization. Dissolution was markedly enhanced, achieving 94.36% release within 60 min, compared with only 7.75% for raw curcumin. Antioxidant activity improved significantly, with IC₅₀ values decreasing from 15 mg/mL (without sonication) to <1 mg/mL after optimized sonication, representing more than a 15-fold increase in potency. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that the UALA method provides a sustainable, carrier-free, and efficient route to produce nanocurcumin with superior physicochemical and bioactive properties, suitable for advanced pharmaceutical applications.

Keywords

References

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DOI: 10.14416/j.asep.2026.01.005

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