Solid lipid curcumin-loaded particles for in vivo fluorescent imaging in humans: a proof of concept

The possibility to use oral intake of fluorescent dyes approved on humans for intravital fluorescence in vivo imaging is attractive due to its simplicity and non-invasive character. Here we investigate the potential of solid lipid curcumin particles (SLCP) for imaging of capillary permeability using fluorescence video capillaroscopy. Curcumin fluorescence corresponding to 0.7 $\mu$g/ml concentration was observed from blood plasma after oral consumption of 2 g of SLCP. However, this signal was $\sim$15% higher than that of blood plasma intrinsic fluorescence, which was itself at least 10-fold lower than the background signal from pericapillary tissue. By comparing the optical properties and concentration to the case of intravenous injection of sodium fluorescein, we analyzed which parameters of the experiment should be optimized for using oral consumption of fluorescing compounds in intravital in vivo capillaroscopy measurements.