Pharmacological evaluation of curcumin nanosponges enriched with vitamin E: a multifunctional cosmeceutical cream for skin protection and regeneration.

The increasing demand for multifunctional skincare products has led to the development of cosmeceutical formulations incorporating curcumin nanosponges (CUR-NS) and vitamin E, which may improve skin repairs and protection. Both formulations were evaluated for physicochemical parameters such as pH, viscosity, spreadability, drug content, and drug diffusion. Among these, the cosmeceutical cream C3 demonstrated controlled curcumin release (95.07 ± 0.64% over 12 h), following Korsmeyer-Peppas release kinetics (Super Case II transport), and was therefore selected for further investigation. The stability studies were performed according to ICH guidelines and revealed no significant differences in any of the parameters (p > 0.05). The cream (C3) demonstrated a significant in vivo antifungal effect, as it decreased the lesion, redness, and inflammation in the test group over the disease control group (p < 0.001), showing its antifungal potential. Antioxidant activity was evaluated with DPPH and hydrogen peroxide methods, demonstrating IC50 values of 28.35 µg/mL and 30.76 µg/mL, respectively. The cream effectively reduced lipid peroxidase (LPO) level in the skin of Wistar rats, showing antioxidant properties. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference between the disease control, standard, and test groups (p < 0.005), indicating that the cream effectively reduces oxidative stress. It also showed broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus. Moreover, a skin irritation test demonstrated safety, and histopathological and LPO studies demonstrated skin-protective benefits. The formulation showed remarkable multifunctional therapeutic potential, indicating that it can be used as an effective, safe, and stable cosmeceutical for skin protection and regeneration.