Gammadextrin may increase the bioavailability of curcumin

A study published in the European Journal of Nutrition suggests that the bioavailability of curcumin may be increased with the help of gammadextrin. Curcumin is an antioxidant that exhibits anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and hypoallergenic properties, but is not readily absorbed in the human bloodstream.

An independent double-blind crossover clinical study performed in the United States compared the relative absorption of a gammadextrin-curcumin formulation (Wacker’s Cavacurmin) with pure curcumin extract (95%) and two commercially-available curcumin preparations designed to increase bioavailability. After oral ingestion of the substance, the blood of the study participants was analyzed at regular intervals over the course of 12 hr.

The researchers found that the gammadextrin-curcumin formulation was absorbed approximately 40 times more efficiently than the standard extract, and at least 4.6 times better than the next best comparable commercial product. The cyclic oligosaccharide gammadextrin increases the bioavailability of curcumin due to its unique properties. Gammadextrin is hydrophilic on the outside with a hydrophobic cavity on the inside, which allows it to accommodate other hydrophobic substances. In this way, cyclodextrins can bind ingredients, release active agents, or stabilize sensitive substances and interfaces.

To increase bioavailability, the water-soluble gammadextrin can encapsulate fat-soluble curcumin, for example. Hydrophobic curcumin thus gets a hydrophilic shell and forms a molecular dispersion in water that leads to a much better absorption by the human body.

Study