{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T10:47:58Z","timestamp":1785408478192,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,30]],"date-time":"2026-05-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780099200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Institutional Fund Projects","award":["IFPIP:1100-156-1443"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["IFPIP:1100-156-1443"]}]},{"name":"The Ministry of Education and King Abdulaziz University, DSR, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia"},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/02ma4wv74","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pharmaceuticals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Objectives: Curcumin possesses well-documented anticancer activity; however, its clinical translation is hindered by poor aqueous solubility and limited bioavailability. The present study aimed to engineer pH-dependent bovine serum albumin (BSA)\u2013based nanocarriers for curcumin delivery and to evaluate their physicochemical characteristics, controlled release behavior under gastrointestinal pH conditions, and in vitro anticancer efficacy against the human colon cancer cell line Colo-205. Methods: Curcumin-loaded bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (Cu-BSA-NPs) were fabricated using a desolvation technique followed by chemical crosslinking. Particle size, zeta potential, and polydispersity index (PDI) were assessed by dynamic light scattering. Morphology was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while structural and thermal properties were evaluated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Drug loading capacity and entrapment efficiency were quantified spectrophotometrically. In vitro drug release was investigated using a gastrointestinal pH-transition model (pH 1.2, 6.8, and 7.4). Cytotoxic activity was assessed using the sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay on Colo-205 cells. Results: The engineered Cu-BSA-NPs exhibited particle sizes ranging from 96.7 \u00b1 10.5 to 126.4 \u00b1 35.8 nm, with PDI values between 0.289 and 0.581 and zeta potentials from \u221218.2 \u00b1 1.01 to \u221234 \u00b1 1.0 mV, indicating nanoscale dimensions and moderate colloidal stability. SEM analysis revealed spherical nanoparticles with smooth surfaces and uniform morphology. Entrapment efficiency ranged from 6.59 \u00b1 1.11% to 52.98 \u00b1 0.65%, while drug loading efficiency varied between 1.308 \u00b1 0.206% and 16.744 \u00b1 0.266%. In vitro release studies demonstrated minimal drug release under acidic (pH 1.2) and near-neutral (pH 6.8) conditions, followed by significantly enhanced release at pH 7.4, confirming pH-dependent behavior of the albumin matrix. Cytotoxicity studies showed significant antiproliferative activity against Colo-205 human colon cancer cells. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate successful engineering of albumin-based nanocarriers capable of modulating curcumin release under physiologically relevant pH conditions and enhancing in vitro anticancer activity. Although limited to in vitro evaluation, this study highlights the potential of protein-based nanoplatforms as adaptable delivery systems for colon cancer therapy. Further in vivo investigations are warranted to validate their translational and therapeutic potential.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ph19060872","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,4]],"date-time":"2026-06-04T01:08:02Z","timestamp":1780535282000},"page":"872","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Development of Albumin Nanocarriers for Enhanced Curcumin Delivery and In Vitro Anticancer Activity in Colon Cancer Cells"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8268-3412","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aftab","family":"Ahmad","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Health Information Technology Department, The Applied College, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Pharmacovigilance and Medication Safety Unit, Center of Research Excellence for Drug Research and Pharmaceutical Industries, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Darshana","family":"Bagwe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutics, Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Wardha Borgaon (Meghe), Wardha 442 001, Maharashtra, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shagufta","family":"Khan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutics, Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Wardha Borgaon (Meghe), Wardha 442 001, Maharashtra, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chetna","family":"Dhone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutics, Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Wardha Borgaon (Meghe), Wardha 442 001, Maharashtra, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shilpa","family":"Padhare","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutics, Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Wardha Borgaon (Meghe), Wardha 442 001, Maharashtra, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8474-2543","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anwar A.","family":"Alghamdi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Health Information Technology Department, The Applied College, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Pharmacovigilance and Medication Safety Unit, Center of Research Excellence for Drug Research and Pharmaceutical Industries, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0729-3403","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shah Alam","family":"Khan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, National University of Science and Technology, Bousher, Muscat PC 130, Oman"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"209","article-title":"Global Cancer Statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN Estimates of Incidence and Mortality Worldwide for 36 Cancers in 185 Countries","volume":"71","author":"Sung","year":"2021","journal-title":"CA Cancer J. 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