AniView Supports IBD Therapy Research: Oral colon targeted curcumin-based nanocomposite inulin hydrogel for alleviating intestinal inflammation and dysbiosis

New progress has been made in oral colon-targeted therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Research teams led by Mingzun Zun from Shanghai University, Weiliang Hou from Naval Medical University, and Zhongmin Geng from Qingdao University published their findings in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology (IF = 15.0, CAS Q1, Top journal).

This study developed an antioxidant inulin nanocomposite hydrogel loaded with curcumin for targeted IBD therapy, providing a synergistic strategy that combines anti-inflammatory activity with gut microbiota regulation and offering a new approach for the clinical treatment of colitis.

IBD comprises a group of chronic, relapsing inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, primarily including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Current therapeutic agents are limited by highly variable efficacy and significant side effects during long-term treatment, highlighting the urgent need for safe strategies capable of regulating multiple pathological processes simultaneously. Excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), disruption of the intestinal barrier, and gut microbiota dysbiosis are recognized as key drivers of IBD progression. However, conventional drugs often cause systemic toxicity, while probiotic therapies are constrained by low biological activity, short intestinal retention, and poor lesion-targeting capability. Although curcumin possesses potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties, its poor water solubility, low bioavailability, and limited gastrointestinal stability have hindered its clinical application.

To overcome these limitations, the researchers developed an antioxidant inulin-based nanocomposite hydrogel encapsulating curcumin for targeted treatment of IBD. In this delivery platform, curcumin was loaded into chitosan-modified poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles to form the CUR-PLGA-CS Inulin Gel. The system not only exhibited excellent ROS-scavenging activity but also significantly enhanced cellular uptake of curcumin. In a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis mouse model, the nanocomposite hydrogel markedly prolonged intestinal retention of curcumin, suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, alleviated intestinal inflammation, and promoted the recovery of intestinal barrier integrity and microbial diversity. By integrating anti-inflammatory therapy with gut microbiota modulation, this study established a synergistic therapeutic strategy that offers a promising new direction for the clinical management of colitis.

Experiments using Plantview

In this study, the AniView Multimodal In Vivo Imaging System developed by Guangzhou Biolight Biotechnology was used to evaluate the in vivo distribution, intestinal retention, and colon-targeting capability of different formulations in mice. A DSS-induced ulcerative colitis mouse model was established, and animals were divided into six groups: Control, DSS, DSS+CUR, DSS+CUR-PLGA, DSS+CUR-PLGA-CS, and DSS+CUR-PLGA-CS Inulin Gel. Fluorescence imaging was performed to monitor drug distribution in the stomach, small intestine, and colon. Therapeutic efficacy was further evaluated through changes in body weight, disease activity index (DAI), colon length, histopathological analysis (H&E staining), inflammatory cytokine measurements (ELISA), intestinal barrier protein expression, and 16S rRNA sequencing of the gut microbiota.

In vivo imaging results demonstrated that free curcumin was rapidly cleared from the gastrointestinal tract, whereas the CUR-PLGA-CS Inulin Gel remained in the colon for more than 24 hours. Colon retention was even more pronounced in DSS-induced colitis mice. In addition, minimal accumulation of the formulation was observed in major organs, including the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. These findings confirmed the excellent intestinal mucoadhesive properties and colon-targeting capability of the delivery system.

DOI:10.1186/s12951-026-04318-0