Conjugation of curcumin with PVP capped gold nanoparticles for improving bioavailability

► Conjugation of curcumin with PVP functionalized GNPs by simple chemical method. ► Diaryl heptanoid chromophore group of curcumin remains intact after conjugation. ► The conjugate loading percentage was seen to be nearly 26%. ► 100% cell viability in conjugate till the concentration of ~ 10 μg/ml ► Beyond ~ 10 μg/ml, toxicity may be useful for the therapeutic applications.