Preparation, characterization and evaluation of the anti-inflammatory activity of epichlorohydrin-β-cyclodextrin/curcumin binary systems embedded in a pluronic® /hyaluronate hydrogel

Curcumin (Cur) is an anti-inflammatory polyphenol that can be complexed with polymeric cyclodextrin (CD) to improve solubility and bioavailability. The aim of the present work was to prepare a CurCD hydrogel to treat inflammatory skin conditions. Epichlorohydrin-β-CD (EpiβCD) was used as polymeric CD. To characterize the binary system, solid-state and in-solution studies were performed. Afterwards, an experimental design was performed to optimize the hy-drogel system. Finally, the CurEpiβCD hydrogel system was tested for anti-inflammatory activity using a HaCat psoriasis cell model. Co-grinded Cur/EpiβCD binary system showed a strong interaction and Curcumin solubility was much improved. Its combination with Pluronic® F-127/hyalu-ronate hydrogel demonstrated an improvement in release rate and Curcumin permeation. After testing its anti-inflammatory activity, the system showed a significant reduction in IL-6 levels. Hy-drogel-containing CurEpiβCD complex is a great alternative to treat topical inflammatory diseases.