Characteristics of Curcumin-Containing Liposomes Prepared by Various Methods.

a Curcumin solution dissolved in 50% DMSO in water (v/v) was added to freeze-dried empty liposomes, and free curcumin and DMSO were removed by ultrafiltration [15, 16]. bCurcumin was dissolved in 50% N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF; Wako) in water (v/v). Following procedure is described in the footnotea [15, 16]. cCurcumin was dissolved in 50% DMSO in water (v/v) containing 12% cremophore (w/v). Following procedure is described in the footnotea [15, 16]. dCurcumin was dissolved in water containing 22% cremophore (w/v). Following procedure is described in the footnotea [15, 16]. e Transmembrane pH-gradient liposomes and curcumin were mixed at above the phase transition temperature (70°C) [17, 18]. fLipid films were hydrated with curcumin or curcumin/albumin solution [19]. g Curcumin or curcumin/albumin solution was admixed to a lipid suspension containing sodium cholate, and this surfactant was removed by ultrafiltration [20, 21]. h Initial amount of curcumin applied for liposomal procedure. iCurcumin or lipid concentration after liposomal formation. jThese values were obtained by final curcumin concentration (μg/ml) / final lipid concentration (mg/ml). This is a parameter to evaluate loading efficiency of curcumin into liposomes. kIn freeze-drying or remote loading method, this represents each intraliposomal buffer of empty liposomes used for loading curcumin. In Bangham or improved cholate dialysis method, this represents each buffer used for hydration of lipid films. l Final suspension buffers of liposomes after loading curcumin. (XLSX)