**4.1 Curcumin-loaded nanoparticles and their antibacterial activities**

According to a study by Tyagi et al. [30], curcumin has greater effectiveness in controlling both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Despite curcumin having potential antibacterial properties, its low solubility, low stability, and low bioavailability remain a debate [142]. Curcumin nanoparticles exhibit better biological activity, solubility, and stability than all other forms of curcumin [143]. When evaluated, it was found that the curcumin particles are smaller, which enhanced their toxicity and sensitization in bacterial cells, compared to curcumin alone [144].

Furthermore, an evaluation of curcumin nanoparticle's effectiveness in inhibiting bacteria like *Shigella dysenteriae*, *Staphylococcus aureus*, *Escherichia coli*, and *Streptococcus pneumonia* was observed to be greater than amoxicillin, a commercial

*Germicidal and Antineoplastic Activities of Curcumin and Curcumin-Derived Nanoparticles DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.103076*


**Table 3.**

*Summary of the activities of curcumin-loaded nanoparticles for the treatment of different diseases.*

antibiotic [52]. In order to manifest antibacterial properties, curcumin-loaded nanoparticles attach to the cell wall of the bacterial cell, break it, and penetrate inside the cell, disrupting the structure of cellular organelles [143]. Since curcumin-loaded nanoparticles are effective on the broad spectrum of microorganisms and human cancer cell lines, therefore targeting curcumin-loaded nanoparticles for therapeutic purpose is a promising strategy.
