The capsule is now being developed at the Centre of Chitin-Chitosan Biomaterials, Chulalongkorn University, with the aim of improving the delivery system for active ingredients, especially for the cosmetics industry.

Started a year ago, the project is to develop nanocapsules from biomaterials that contain turmeric oil. As the oil comes with antibacterial properties, it can be used for acne treatment.

Researcher Pranee Lertsutthiwong said she was studying two kinds of materials - alginate, a kind of polymer derived from brown seaweed, and chitosan, a by-product extracted from seashell waste - to develop the new nanocapsule.

"Since the capsule will be used on human skin, the materials we use will have to be bio-degradable, dissolving naturally and not leaving any trace on the skin," she said.

The researcher started to look into details of the properties of the two materials and plans to develop nanocapsules in three ways. The first is to use only alginate as a key material for the development while the second is to use pure chitosan. The third is to use a combination of the two.

Pranee said she planned to study each material used to make nanocapsules that contain turmeric oil as well as their efficiency. She has started the process of developing nanocapsules from alginate. She said preparation, development processes and packaging techniques were required to create nanocapsules from the polymer.

"Apart from selecting proper materials, we have to develop our own technique to produce the nanocapsule and pack the active ingredients into the capsule. This is an important step in our research," she added.

So far, the researcher has succeeded in developing nanocapsules from alginate between 50 to 100 nanometres in size. Next, she will test its efficiency after it is used.

"We have to look at the nanocapsule material, in particular how long it can hold the active ingredient, as well as the time it takes to release the ingredient itself. This is important information and will help us choose the proper material and correct doses," she said.

After testing the alginate-based nanocapsule, researchers will develop the capsule from chitosan, and then from a combination of both alginate and chitosan. For research on the last combination, she will make a multi-layer capsule by coating alginate as one layer and chitosan as the other. Pranee said she would study the results from each method to determine the best method for further development.

Supported by the Thailand Research Fund, the project is expected to be complete next year with a prototype nanocapsule containing turmeric oil. The prototype is hoped to be a foundation for further development of new cosmetic products including washing foam, moisturising cream and other skincare products.

Pongpen Sutharoj

 The Nation