Abstract

A oil-in-water curcumin nanoemulsion that includes curcumin dissolved in at least one miscible solvent and encapsulated in an oil core, wherein the oil core also comprises a stabilizer, wherein the oil core forms an organic phase which is dispersed in an aqueous solvent, and wherein the oil core is selected from a pharmaceutically acceptable oil. A method of manufacturing an oil-in-water curcumin nanoemulsion includes dissolving the curcumin in at least one miscible solvent; encapsulating the curcumin in the oil core to produce an organic phase solution; adding the stabilizer to the organic phase solution; dispersing the organic phase solution in the aqueous solvent; and evaporating the mixture. A method of preventing metastatic cancer using an oil-in-water curcumin nanoemulsion by administering an amount of the nanoemulsion topically to an area of an excised primary tumor, and monitoring any reincidence of metastatic cancer in the excised primary tumor area.