BioavailabilityNCT06177483
Enhanced Absorption of curQ+ or Liposomal Curcumin Formulations Versus 95% Curcumin Powder in Healthy Subjects
A study testing 95% curcumin extract powder, curQ+ curcumin formulation and liposomal curcumin formulation in people with Bioavailability, run by ESM Technologies, LLC at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study is intended to evaluate how significantly a proprietary curcumin formulation (curQ+® or liposomal curcumin) results in greater GI absorption compared to 95% curcumin extract over a 6-hour time period following a single oral dose in healthy men \& women. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 75 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Bioavailability
- What is being tested?
- 95% curcumin extract powder, curQ+ curcumin formulation and liposomal curcumin formulation
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine, Injection or infusion
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 25 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Mar 2024to 10 Sep 2024
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 75 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Male or Female subjects must be 18-75 years of age at the time of Screening.
- Subjects must be willing to refrain from consuming the spice turmeric or any dietary supplements containing turmeric or curcumin (except for the study products) throughout the entire study and for 14 days prior to screening.
- Subjects must be available for and willing to attend all evaluation visits.
- Subjects must be able and willing to give informed consent.
- Subjects participating in prior studies evaluating curQ+® or curcumin can participate in the present study so long as they are not currently taking a curcumin-containing supplement (including turmeric) and have not done so for 14 days prior to screening.
Who cannot join
- Subject is currently receiving therapy with remission-inducing drugs (i.e. methotrexate, TNF biologics, etc.), immunosuppressive drugs (i.e. corticosteroids, transplantation medications, etc.).
- Subjects must not have taken turmeric- or curcumin-containing dietary supplements within 14 days prior to screening evaluation.
- Subject has been diagnosed with any clinically significant confounding metabolic disease or condition that would interfere with the study evaluation, as judged by the clinical investigator (slow or fast metabolism resulting from hypo- or hyper-thyroidism, Cushing's Syndrome, Diabetes (except for fully resolved gestational diabetes), etc.) or any conditions that would affect absorption in the GI tract (i.e. inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, Behçet's Syndrome, systemic sclerosis, etc.).
- Subject has known allergy to any of the investigational products, including but not limited to turmeric, curcumin, coconut or coconut oil, and sunflower oil. If any subject becomes sensitive during the study, they will immediately be excluded from continuing in the study.
- Subject's body weight is greater than 300 pounds (136.1 kg) at the time of Screening.
- Subject is involved in any other research study involving an investigational product (drug, device or biologic) or a new application of an approved product, within 30 days of the first baseline evaluation.
- Pregnant and/or breastfeeding women, or women who intend to become pregnant during the course of the study.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of Texas Health Center
Houston, Texas, 77030
About this study
Official title: Evaluation of Enhanced Absorption of a Micellar Curcumin Formulation (curQ+) or a Liposomal Curcumin Formulation Versus 95% Curcumin Extract in Healthy Individuals
This study is intended to evaluate how significantly a proprietary curcumin formulation (curQ+® or liposomal curcumin) results in greater GI absorption compared to 95% curcumin extract over a 6-hour time period following a single oral dose in healthy men \& women.
Read the detailed description
This study is intended to evaluate how significantly a proprietary curcumin formulation (curQ+® or liposomal curcumin) results in greater GI absorption compared to 95% curcumin extract over a 6-hour time period following a single oral dose in healthy men \& women. Absorption enhancement will be based upon producing the greatest plasma curcumin concentration (AUC). Secondarily, this study is intended to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the curQ+® \& liposomal curcumin formulations.
- Conditions
- Bioavailability
- Being tested
- 95% curcumin extract powder, curQ+ curcumin formulation, liposomal curcumin formulation
- Keywords
- Bioavailability, Pharmacokinetics
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
95% curcumin extract powderDietary supplement
95% curcumin extract powder
curQ+ curcumin formulationDietary supplement
curQ+ curcumin formulation
liposomal curcumin formulationDietary supplement
liquid liposomal curcumin formulation
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| 95% curcumin extract powder | Active comparator | 1,035 mg of 95% curcumin extract (~1,000 mg of curcuminoids) in three #0 vegetarian capsules as a single oral dose Receives: Dietary Supplement: 95% curcumin extract powder |
| curQ+ curcumin formulation | Experimental | 2,010 mg of curQ+® containing a total of 350 mg of curcuminoids in six #0 vegetarian capsules as a single oral dose Receives: Dietary Supplement: curQ+ curcumin formulation |
| Liposomal curcumin formulation | Experimental | 15.4 g of liposomal curcumin containing a total of ~940 mg of curcuminoids in a 15 mL syringe as a single oral dose Receives: Dietary Supplement: liposomal curcumin formulation |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Absorption of curcumin as measured in serum via Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS)
The difference between the absorption of curcumin from the formulations curQ+ or liposomal curcumin versus 95% curcumin powder as measured in serum via Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS)
Measured: 6 hours
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted20 Dec 2023
- Study start1 Mar 2024
- Primary completion5 Apr 2024
- Study completion10 Sep 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for BioavailabilityStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Randomized, Parallel group absorption study
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 25 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- ESM Technologies, LLC
- Sponsor type
- Industry (pharma, biotech, devices)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Karen L Posey, PhD, Principal investigator, UTHealth
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06177483
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- ESM-CLN#2023T02
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 11 Dec 2023
- Last updated
- 7 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: There is no plan to make individual participant data (IPD) available to other researchers.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 7 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Evaluation of Enhanced Absorption of a Micellar Curcumin Formulation (curQ+) or a Liposomal Curcumin Formulation Versus 95% Curcumin Extract in Healthy Individuals
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06177483
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- ESM-CLN#2023T02
- Conditions
- Bioavailability
- Keywords
- Bioavailability, Pharmacokinetics
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 25 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- ESM Technologies, LLCIndustry (pharma, biotech, devices)
- Collaborators
- The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
- Study start
- 1 Mar 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 5 Apr 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 10 Sep 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 20 Dec 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study is intended to evaluate how significantly a proprietary curcumin formulation (curQ+® or liposomal curcumin) results in greater GI absorption compared to 95% curcumin extract over a 6-hour time period following a single oral dose in healthy men \& women.
Detailed description
This study is intended to evaluate how significantly a proprietary curcumin formulation (curQ+® or liposomal curcumin) results in greater GI absorption compared to 95% curcumin extract over a 6-hour time period following a single oral dose in healthy men \& women. Absorption enhancement will be based upon producing the greatest plasma curcumin concentration (AUC). Secondarily, this study is intended to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the curQ+® \& liposomal curcumin formulations.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 3
- Model description
- Randomized, Parallel group absorption study
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| 95% curcumin extract powder | Active comparator | Dietary Supplement: 95% curcumin extract powder1,035 mg of 95% curcumin extract (~1,000 mg of curcuminoids) in three #0 vegetarian capsules as a single oral dose |
| curQ+ curcumin formulation | Experimental | Dietary Supplement: curQ+ curcumin formulation2,010 mg of curQ+® containing a total of 350 mg of curcuminoids in six #0 vegetarian capsules as a single oral dose |
| Liposomal curcumin formulation | Experimental | Dietary Supplement: liposomal curcumin formulation15.4 g of liposomal curcumin containing a total of ~940 mg of curcuminoids in a 15 mL syringe as a single oral dose |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 75 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Male or Female subjects must be 18-75 years of age at the time of Screening.
- Subjects must be willing to refrain from consuming the spice turmeric or any dietary supplements containing turmeric or curcumin (except for the study products) throughout the entire study and for 14 days prior to screening.
- Subjects must be available for and willing to attend all evaluation visits.
- Subjects must be able and willing to give informed consent.
- Subjects participating in prior studies evaluating curQ+® or curcumin can participate in the present study so long as they are not currently taking a curcumin-containing supplement (including turmeric) and have not done so for 14 days prior to screening.
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Subject is currently receiving therapy with remission-inducing drugs (i.e. methotrexate, TNF biologics, etc.), immunosuppressive drugs (i.e. corticosteroids, transplantation medications, etc.).
- Subjects must not have taken turmeric- or curcumin-containing dietary supplements within 14 days prior to screening evaluation.
- Subject has been diagnosed with any clinically significant confounding metabolic disease or condition that would interfere with the study evaluation, as judged by the clinical investigator (slow or fast metabolism resulting from hypo- or hyper-thyroidism, Cushing's Syndrome, Diabetes (except for fully resolved gestational diabetes), etc.) or any conditions that would affect absorption in the GI tract (i.e. inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, Behçet's Syndrome, systemic sclerosis, etc.).
- Subject has known allergy to any of the investigational products, including but not limited to turmeric, curcumin, coconut or coconut oil, and sunflower oil. If any subject becomes sensitive during the study, they will immediately be excluded from continuing in the study.
- Subject's body weight is greater than 300 pounds (136.1 kg) at the time of Screening.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| 95% curcumin extract powder95% curcumin extract powder | Dietary supplement | 95% curcumin extract powder |
| curQ+ curcumin formulationcurQ+ curcumin formulation | Dietary supplement | curQ+ curcumin formulation |
| liposomal curcumin formulationliquid liposomal curcumin formulation | Dietary supplement | Liposomal curcumin formulation |
Primary outcome
Absorption of curcumin as measured in serum via Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS)
Time frame: 6 hours
The difference between the absorption of curcumin from the formulations curQ+ or liposomal curcumin versus 95% curcumin powder as measured in serum via Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 7 Aug 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. There is no plan to make individual participant data (IPD) available to other researchers.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Karen L Posey, PhD principal investigator
UTHealth
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing 95% curcumin extract powder, curQ+ curcumin formulation and liposomal curcumin formulation in people with Bioavailability, run by ESM Technologies, LLC at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 7 Aug 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Absorption of curcumin as measured in serum via Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) (time frame: 6 hours). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 7 Aug 2026.