PEG-Dependent Tunable Degradation and Curcumin Release from Curcumin-Based Biomedical Polyurethanes

    April 2026 in “ Biomolecules ”
    Man Wang, H L Liu, Wei Zhao, Huafen Wang, Yuwei Zhuang, Ran Zhang, Zhaohui Liu, 柯能文, Sichong Chen
    TLDR Curcumin-based polyurethanes with more PEG improve curcumin release and maintain strong antioxidant and antibacterial properties.
    The study developed a series of biomedical polyurethanes (Cur-PU) incorporating curcumin to address its poor water solubility and oxidative degradation. By varying the PEG content, researchers achieved tunable degradation and curcumin release rates. Higher PEG content led to increased water solubility, hydrophilicity, and curcumin release, while reducing crystallinity and water contact angle. These modifications enhanced the material's swelling ratio and degradation rate in specific conditions. Biocompatibility tests showed that Cur-PU maintained excellent antioxidant and antibacterial activities, highlighting its potential as a promising biomedical material.
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