Bioavailable curcuminoid formulations for treating Alzheimer's disease and other age-related disorders

1. A curcuminoid composition having enhanced oral bioavailability, comprising:

a curcuminoid selected from the group consisting of curcumin, metabolites of curcumin, tetrahydrocurcumin, demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, curcumin esters, and mixtures thereof;

an antioxidant in an amount sufficient to protect the curcuminoid from hydrolysis;

a water-solubilizing, pharmaceutically acceptable carrier comprising phosphatidylcholine (PC), the water-solubilizing, pharmaceutically acceptable carrier being selected from the group consisting of lipid micelles, microemulsions and microencapsulated oils, the PC and the curcuminoid being present in the composition in a molar ratio of 1:3.33 to 6:1; and

optionally a glucuronidation inhibitor,

wherein the composition is suitable for oral administration, and

wherein the curcuminoid and the antioxidant are present in a weight ratio of about 10:1 or greater, and the curcuminoid composition is stable above pH 7.0.

2. The curcuminoid composition as recited in claim 1 , wherein the curcuminoid is a curcumin ester comprising the esterification product of curcumin and a monocarboxylic acid.

3. The curcuminoid composition as recited in claim 2 , wherein the monocarboxylic acid comprises an essential fatty acid.

4. The curcuminoid composition as recited in claim 3 , wherein the essential fatty acid comprises an Omega-3 fatty acid.

5. The curcuminoid composition as recited in claim 4 , wherein the Omega-3 fatty acid is docosahexaenoic acid.

6. The curcuminoid composition as recited in claim 1 , wherein the lipid micelles are formed from one or more fatty acids, phospholipids, bile acids, edible oils, mixtures thereof, and/or pharmaceutically acceptable salts, hydrates, or conjugates thereof.

7. The curcuminoid composition as recited in claim 1 , wherein the carrier comprises lipid micelles that are formed at least in part of phosphatidyl choline, deoxycholate, and taurocholate or other surfactants.

8. The curcuminoid composition as recited in claim 1 , wherein the lipid micelles comprise an oil selected from the group consisting of olive oil, canola oil, fish oil, and mixtures thereof.

9. The curcuminoid composition as recited in claim 1 , wherein the carrier comprises microencapsulated particles.

10. The curcuminoid composition as recited in claim 1 , wherein the antioxidant is selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, acylated fat soluble ascorbic acid, vitamin C, alpha-lipoic acid, N-acetylcysteine, reduced glutathione, tetrahydrocurcumin, and mixtures thereof.

11. The curcuminoid composition as recited in claim 1 , wherein the antioxidant comprises ascorbic acid.

12. The curcuminoid composition as recited in claim 1 , wherein the antioxidant is both water-soluble and lipid-soluble.

13. The curcuminoid composition as recited in claim 1 , wherein the glucuronidation inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of tetrahydrocurcumin, piperine, probencid, diclofenac, and mixtures thereof.

14. The curcuminoid composition as recited in claim 1 , wherein the composition has the form of a microemulsion, solid lipid nanoparticles, microencapsulated particles, or gel, and is suitable for parenteral or enteral administration.

15. A curcuminoid composition having enhanced oral bioavailability, comprising:

a curcuminoid selected from the group consisting of curcumin tetrahydrocurcumin, and mixtures thereof;

phosphatidylcholine (PC), the PC and the curcuminoid being present in the composition in a molar ratio of 1:3.33 to 6:1;

docosahexaenoic acid; and

an antioxidant in an amount sufficient to protect the curcuminoid from hydrolysis;

wherein the composition is provided as a plurality of micelles,

wherein the composition is suitable for oral administration, and

wherein the curcuminoid and the antioxidant are present in a weight ratio of about 10:1 or greater, and the curcuminoid composition is stable above pH 7.0.

16. A curcuminoid composition having enhanced oral bioavailability, comprising:

curcumin;

phosphatidylcholine (PC), the PC and the curcumin being present in the composition in a molar ratio of 1:3.33 to 6:1;

docosahexaenoic acid; and

an antioxidant in an amount sufficient to protect the curcumin from hydrolysis;

wherein the composition is provided as a plurality of micelles,

wherein the composition is suitable for oral administration, and

wherein the curcumin and the antioxidant are present in a weight ratio of about 10:1 or greater, and the curcuminoid composition is stable above pH 7.0.

17. The curcuminoid composition of claim 1 , wherein the curcuminoid comprises a curcumin ester and docosahexaenoic acid.

18. The curcuminoid composition as recited in claim 1 , provided as solid lipid nanoparticles having an internal phase lipid, the curcuminoid, a surfactant, and a cosurfactant.

19. The curcuminoid composition as recited in claim 18 , wherein the internal phase lipid is selected from the group consisting of triacylglycerols, tricaprin, trilaurin, trimyristin, tripalmitin, tristearin; acylglycerols, glycerol monostearate, glycerol behenate, glycerol palmitostearate; fatty acids, stearic acid, palmitic acid, decanoic acid, behenic acid; waxes, cetyl palmitate; cyclic complexes, cyclodextrin, para-acyl-calix-arenes; and mixtures thereof.

20. The curcuminoid composition as recited in claim 18 , wherein the surfactant is selected from the group consisting of phospholipids, soy lecithin, egg lecithin, phosphatidylcholine; ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymers, Poloxamer 188, Poloxamer 182, Poloxamer 407, Poloxamine 908; sorbitan ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymers, Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 60, Polysorbate 80; alkylaryl polyether alcohol polymers, tyloxapol.

21. The curcuminoid composition as recited in claim 18 , wherein the co-surfactant is selected from the group consisting of sodium cholate, sodium glycocholate, sodium taurocholate, and sodium taurodeoxycholate.

22. A method of treating a neurodegenerative, age-related disease, comprising:

administering a therapeutically effective dose of a curcuminoid,

wherein the curcuminoid is provided as the curcuminoid of claim 1 .

23. The method as recited in claim 22 , wherein the therapeutically effective dose is sufficient to achieve a curcuminoid concentration in blood of 0.1-2 micromolar.

24. The curcuminoid composition as recited in claim 1 , wherein the curcuminoid and the antioxidant are present in a ratio of about 8:1 to about 16:1.