Chitosan- Curcumin Killing The Cancer Cells

Researchers Faculty of Pharmacy, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 2003 obtained a patent Pentagamavunon-0 in the United States, which is an inhibitor curcumin compound modified cancer cells. Now the developed chitosan nanoparticles to carry curcumin to more effectively target cancer cells.

This (modified curcumin) to anticancer drugs in combination with curcumin in the overlying chitosan nanoparticle size, "said the lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Gadjah Mada, Ronny Martien, Thursday (23 / 6), after receiving the award and research grant from Indonesia Academy of Sciences (AIPI) in Jakarta.

Ronny is one of four other young researchers who were given grants of research funding by the  AIPI. Ronny proposed Biodiversity Utilization of research fields.

Title research "Utilization of Chitosan in Improving Bioavailibilitas Compounds Pentagamavunon-0 (PGV-0) as-inflammatory Analgesic Drugs with Nanoparticles Formulations".
PGV-0 is a derivative analog of curcumin derived from turmeric and ginger rhizome. According to Ronny, PGV-0 researched UGM in cooperation with the Netherlands.

Then, PGV-0 patented in the U.S. with Patent No. US-6777. 447B2. It's given a lot of research done in this country and curcumin has resulted in several patents as well. Curcumin was obtained from turmeric and ginger are widely exported to the U.S.

PGV-0 proved to have the ability to inhibit the enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX-2) are found in cancer cells. Expression of COX-2 enzyme tends to increase in the cancer cells so it must be inhibited for the healing process.

"PGV-0 as anticancer drugs also have drawbacks in the form keterlarutan level in water is low so it needs to be combined with chitosan with keterlarutan in high water," said Ronny.
Ronny argues, anticancer drugs with nanoparticle technology is pursued through the encapsulation of curcumin with 2-5 nanometer-sized chitosan. Availability of raw materials for curcumin and chitosan thus likely to be abundant cheap drugs.

"There are two ways to make chitosan and curcumin has a size of nanoparticles," said Ronny.
Both methods include the top down and bottom up. Top-down method using principles of physics with homogeniser equipment that does not exist in Indonesia and the cost becomes relatively expensive. Bottom up method in principle reached by the chemical process of mixing the chitosan and curcumin.
"Currently there is no industry that says it wants to work together to develop this research and produce the medicine in the future," he said.

According to him, the abundance of raw materials is a major capital development of the drug in the future. PGV-0 easily derived from curcumin, turmeric and ginger rhizome that have suitable habitat in the tropical regions in Indonesia.

Chitosan is made from chitin contained in the shells of crustaceans, including crab shells. Shells of shrimp, for example, estimated to cover 30-70 percent of the shrimp body itself so that the shell becomes abundant waste.

Through the process of purification, the shells will produce chitin as the compound capable of binding aminopolisakarida 4-5 times the weight of fat rather than weight chitin itself. To make chitin as chitosan, taken through the process of chitin hydrolysis by acids and bases.
Chitosan is chitin that has been removed asetilnya group, then leaving a free amine group makes chitosan is polikationik or positively charged ions.

"Because of this positive charge chitosan can be affixed with the negatively charged curcumin," says Ronny.
Anticancer drug with a combination of chitosan and curcumin-more precisely is the PGV-O-nanoparticle size is inserted orally into the patient's body.

Nanoparticle drug is then easily absorbed and enter the blood vessels and tissue cells. Drug will work when the encounter cancer cells, particularly inhibiting the enzyme COX-2 in cancer cells.

"Curcumin in this case as a drug or medicine who wish to transfer with chitosan nanoparticles," said Ronny.
In later development, the drug can be altered according to what the patient needs. Drugs with nanoparticle size will reduce the dose, but Ronny admits, his research has not reached the target precision.
"The pharmaceutical researchers in the world right now is pursuing methods of achieving the target precision of disease to be treated with this nanoparticle drug," Ronny said.