Figure 1.

The structure of curcumin (A) and paclitaxel (B). (C), Schematic illustration of the folate conjugated paclitaxel and curcumin/HPCD co-loaded lipid nanoparticles (FPCHN-30); (D), The folate moieties on the surface of nanoparticles allow for active uptake by over-expressed folate receptors on MCF-7/ADR cells and subsequently release curcumin and paclitaxel in sequential manner. Released curcumin is readily able to inhibit the expression of p-glycoprotein (p-gp) to enhance paclitaxel intracellular accumulation and to maximize its cytotoxicity. Meanwhile, curcumin also can exhibit cytotoxicity with its own mechanism.