RESUMO:A maioria dos medicamentos fitoterápicos registrados no Brasil apresenta-se sob a forma farmacêutica sólida, utilizando extratos secos como principal matéria-prima ativa. A técnica de secagem por aspersão (spray drying) tem sido amplamente aplicada na obtenção de extratos secos com melhores características tecnológicas e maior concentração de constituintes com atividade biológica. As propriedades físico-químicas dos produtos produzidos por spray drying são influenciadas por fatores relacionados ao processo, à formulação (material de entrada) e ao equipamento. Nesta revisão são apresentados e discutidos resultados de trabalhos relacionados a parâmetros de processo e formulação, e as aplicações da técnica com enfoque no desenvolvimento de extratos secos oriundos de vegetais, principalmente da flora medicinal brasileira.Unitermos: Secagem por aspersão, produtos naturais, extratos secos, processo.ABSTRACT: "Spray drying of plant extracts: basic remarks and application". In Brazil, the majority of the approved phytomedicines are formulated as solid dosage forms containing plant dried extracts as active component. Spray drying technique has been widely used to obtain dried extracts presenting better technological characteristics and greater concentration of biological active constituents. Physicochemical properties of such products depend on factors related to process, formulation (inlet material) and equipment. This review presents and discusses some studies related to parameters of process and formulation, as well as some technical applications focusing on the development of dried extract from plants, mainly from the Brazilian medicinal flora.

Recently, much interest has been generated by colloidal drug delivery systems such as nanocapsules because of the possibilities for controlled release, increased drug efficacy, and reduced toxicity after parenteral administration. Nanocapsules of poly-epsilon-caprolactone and Eudragit S90 were prepared. However, these systems present physicochemical instability. To dry these nanocapsule suspensions with the view of obtaining a solid form, the spray-drying process was used. Spray-dried powders of nanocapsules of poly-sigma-caprolactone and Eudragit S90 were prepared by atomization in a Büchi 190 Mini-spray dryer using colloidal silicon dioxide as a technological carrier. The morphological analysis of the surface at the powders showed that nanocapsules remain intact, and no change in particle size was detected after the spray-drying process. These results suggest that this method can be an interesting alternative to dry nanocapsule suspensions.

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The purpose of this research was to evaluate the influence of dry granulation parameters on granule and tablet properties of spray-dried extract (SDE) from Maytenus ilicifolia, which is widely used in Brazil in the treatment of gastric disorders. The compressional behavior of the SDE and granules of the SDE was characterized by Heckel plots. The tablet properties of powders, granules, and formulations containing a high extract dose were compared. The SDE was blended with 2% magnesium stearate and 1% colloidal silicon dioxide and compacted to produce granules after slugging or roll compaction. The influences of the granulation process and the roll compaction force on the technological properties of the granules were studied. The flowability and density of spray-dried particles were improved after granulation. Tablets produced by direct compression of granules showed lower crushing strength than the ones obtained from nongranulated material. The compressional analysis by Heckel plots revealed that the SDE undergoes plastic deformation with a very low tendency to rearrangement at an early stage of compression. On the other hand, the granules showed an intensive rearrangement as a consequence of fragmentation and rebounding. However, when the compaction pressure was increased, the granules showed plastic deformation. The mean yield pressure values showed that both granulation techniques and the roll compaction force were able to reduce the material's ability to undergo plastic deformation. Finally, the tablet containing a high dose of granules showed a close dependence between crushing strength and the densification degree of the granules (ie, roll compaction force).

Achyrocline satureioides spray-dried extracts, prepared with colloidal silicon dioxide, microcrystalline cellulose + colloidal silicon dioxide (1:1), and beta-cyclodextrin + colloidal silicon dioxide (1:1), were incorporated in a glyceryl monostearate base. The influence of the spray-drying adjuvants on the formulations' physical characteristics, such as spreading properties, oil indexes, viscosities, and the pH determination, were evaluated. The results indicated that the adjuvants influenced the ointments' physical parameters at different levels, although all of them maintained their plastic flow and presented antithixotropic behavior. The presence of colloidal silicon dioxide alone, in the dried extract, imparted the lowest oil index value and an intermediary spreading area to the ointment. The colloidal silicon dioxide content reduction and the substitution of part of it by beta-cyclodextrin or microcrystalline cellulose enhanced the ointments' oil index values, while the best spreading area was reached by the ointment prepared with the spray-dried extract containing colloidal silicon dioxide and microcrystalline cellulose.

The ability to induce apoptosis is an important marker for cytotoxic antitumor agents. Some natural compounds have been shown to modulate apoptosis pathways that are frequently blocked in human cancers, and therefore, these compounds provide novel opportunities for cancer drug development. Phyllanthus, a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae, exhibits multiple pharmacological actions. Of these, Phyllanthus niruri extracts exhibit significant antitumor activity, which is consistent with the traditional medicinal use of this plant. To examine the apoptotic effects of a spray-dried extract of P. niruri (SDEPN), human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2, Huh-7), colorectal carcinoma cells (Ht29) and keratinocytes (HaCaT) were exposed to the extract for 4, 8 and 24 h. Flow cytometry and caspase-3 immunostaining were used to detect apoptosis, while analysis of variance was applied to identify significant differences between groups (P < 0.05). At all timepoints, the SDEPN induced significantly different cytotoxic effects for HepG2 and Huh-7 cells compared with control cells (P < 0.001). In contrast, the SDEPN had a protective effect on HaCaT cells compared with control cells at all timepoints (P < 0.001). In caspase-3 assays, activation was detected after cell death was induced in Huh-7 and HepG2 cancer cells by the SDEPN. In combination, these results indicate that the SDEPN is selectively toxic towards cancer cell lines, yet is protective towards normal cells.

The aim of this study was to develop granules from Phyllanthus niruri spray-dried extract using dry and wet granulation and to assess techniques to enable the production of granules with improved technological characteristics and yields. Granules were characterized by granulometry, reological parameters, compression and hygroscopic behavior. Independent of the granulation technique, technologically developed granules presented particle diameter, bulk and tapped densities and compressibility indexes suitable for a solid dosage form. The compression behavior showed plastic and fragmentary deformation for granules produced by the dry granulation technique and predominantly plastic deformation for wet granulation. Concerning the humidity sorption, the study showed that granules absorb less humidity than the spray-dried extract. However, granules with Eudragit ® E 100 were the least hygroscopic. Uniterms:Phyllantus nururi/pharmacotechnics. Granules/production. Spray-dried extract. Wet granulation. Dry granulation.O objetivo deste estudo foi desenvolver grânulos de extrato Phyllantus niruri seco por aspersão e por granulação úmida e avaliar técnicas que possibilitem a produção de grânulos com características tecnológicas e rendimentos aperfeiçoados. Os grânulos foram caracterizados por granulometria, parâmetros reológicos, compressão e comportamento higroscópico. Independentemente da técnica de granulação, os grânulos tecnologicamente desenvolvidos apresentaram diâmetro de partículas, densidades aparente e compactada e índices de compressibilidade adequados para a formulação sólida. O comportamento de compressão mostrou deformação plástica e elástica para os grânulos produzidos por técnicas de granulação seca e, predominantemente, deformação plástica para a granulação úmida. Com relação à absorção da umidade, o estudo mostrou que os grânulos absorvem menos umidade do que o extrato seco por aspersão. Entretanto, os grânulos com Eudragit E 100 foram os menos higroscópicos. Unitermos:Phyllantus nururi/farmacotécnica. Grânulos/produção. Aspersão. Granulação úmida. Granulação seca.

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