ArticleBMC pharmacology & toxicology2025
Curcumin-loaded chitosan nanoparticles: a promising approach to liver fibrosis prevention.
Article in BMC pharmacology & toxicology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Chitosan Stabilizes Curcumin against Hydrolysis and Potentiates Antimicrobial Activity againstACS omega · 2026Article
- Chitosan-Based Adhesive Composite Hydrogel to Provide Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Properties for Biomedical Application.Gels (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Curcumin-Dragon's blood-chitosan nanosuspension for dual forensic detection.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Bioactive-Enriched Chitosan/Poly(vinyl Alcohol) Electrospun Nanofibers for Wound Healing: In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundLiver fibrosis is a progressive pathological condition that results from chronic liver injuries, including viral infections, alcohol abuse, and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease. Although curcumin, a polyphenolic compound from turmeric, exhibits potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, its clinical utility is limited by poor solubility and low bioavailability. To address this, chitosan-based curcumin nanoparticles (CUR-CS NPs) have been developed to enhance curcumin’s therapeutic potential.
methodsCUR–CS NPs were synthesized by ionic gelation and characterized by DLS, FE-SEM, and zeta potential analyses. Encapsulation efficiency (EE%), drug content (payload), and in vitro release were quantified spectrophotometrically at 425 nm. Male C57BL/6 mice received CCl₄ for 4 weeks, with concurrent treatment of free curcumin or CUR–CS NPs (2 mg/kg). Serum biochemical markers (ALT, AST, NO), histopathology, pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine gene expression, and Th17/Treg ratios were assessed.
resultsCUR–CS nanoparticles exhibited a mean size of 282.7 ± 65.6 nm, zeta potential + 28.1 mV, and smooth spherical morphology, with an encapsulation efficiency of 83.0 ± 1.8% and a payload of 62 µg CUR/mg CS. The in vitro release showed a biphasic pattern (16–81% over 72 h). In vivo, AST, ALT, and NO levels were significantly reduced (P < 0.05), and the Th17/Treg ratio decreased (P = 0.04), indicating hepatoprotection and immune modulation. Gene expression analysis revealed significant suppression of TNF-α, IL-6, IFN-γ, and α-SMA, with upregulation of TGF-β (P < 0.05), confirming anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects of CUR–CS NPs.
conclusionBy suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IFN-γ; P < 0.05) and reducing serum AST, ALT, and NO levels (P < 0.05), while restoring the Th17/Treg balance (P = 0.04) and enhancing TGF-β expression (P < 0.05), CUR–CS NPs demonstrated statistically validated hepatoprotective, anti-fibrotic, and immunomodulatory effects. These quantitative outcomes confirm CUR–CS NPs as a dual-action nanotherapeutic platform with measurable efficacy for liver fibrosis management.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.