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Design tools for vegetable extract spray drying processes for pharmaceutical use

Abstract:

INTRODUCTION: to obtain extracts and juices of vegetal origin as powders, it is necessary to use the spray drying because this method preserves the natural compounds present in these products. Compounds like sugars prevent them from being spray dried without sticking to the inner surfaces of the dryer, all of which results in poor product recovery. The use of inert additives as soluble starch, cellulose or maltodextrin, favors the product recovery by increasing the glass transition temperature. OBJECTIVES: to use design tools for plant extract spray drying process. METHODS: the glass transition temperature was estimated for different extracts by differential scanning calorimetry. Sticking temperature as well as individual drying indexes were calculated. RESULTS: it was demonstrated that the use of additives in plant extract spray drying processes allows obtaining powdered extracts when it is not possible to dry the extract alone. This methodology can be applied to various extracts. CONCLUSIONS: the feasibility of the submitted methodology as a tool for defining adjuvant concentration and drying temperatures was shown.