Modification and Functionalization of Zeolites for Curcumin Uptake

This work shows that hierarchical zeolites are promising systems for the delivery of biologically relevant hydrophobic substances, such as curcumin. The validity of using piperine as a promoter of curcumin adsorption was also evaluated. The use of pure curcumin is not medically applicable due to its low bioavailability and poor water solubility. To improve the undesirable properties of curcumin, special carriers are used to overcome these shortcomings. Hierarchical zeolites possessing secondary mesoporosity are used as pharmaceutical carrier systems for encapsulating active substances with low water solubility. This porosity facilitates access of larger reagent molecules to the active sites of the material, preserving desirable adsorption properties, acidity, and crystallinity of zeolites. In this work, methods are proposed to synthesize hierarchical zeolites based on a commercial FAU-type zeolite. Studies on the application and adsorption kinetics of curcumin using commercial FAU-type zeolite and hierarchical zeolites based on commercial FAU-type zeolite are also included.