Supercritical Antisolvent Technique for the Production of Breathable Naringin Powder

Abstract

Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds largely present in fruits and vegetables possessing antioxidant properties, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities. Their use in clinical practice is very poor due to their low bioavailability, susceptibility to oxidation and degradation. Moreover, their slight solubility in biological fluids and a consequent low dissolution rate leads to an irregular absorption from solid dosage forms, even though, anti-inflammatory formulations could be used as support for several disease treatment, i.e. the COVID-19 syndrome. To improve flavonoid bioavailability particle size of the powder can be reduced to make it breathable and to promote the absorption in the lung tissues. Supercritical fluid based antisolvent technique has been used to produce naringin particles, with size, shape and density as well as free flowing properties able to fit inhalation needs. The dried particles are produced with the removal of the solvent at lower temperatures compared to the most used traditional micronization processes, such as spray drying. The best breathable fraction for naringin particles is obtained for particles with a d50~7 µm manufactured at 35 °C-150 bar and at 60 °C-130 bar, corresponding to 32.6% and 36.7% respectively. The powder is produced using a high CO2 molar fraction (0.99) that assure a better removal of the solvent. NuLi-1 cell line of immortalised bronchial epithelial cells adopted to evaluate powder cytotoxicity indicated after 24 h absence of toxicity at concentration of 25 µM.

Hollow Particles Obtained by Prilling and Supercritical Drying as a Potential Conformable Dressing for Chronic Wounds

“…This technique utilizes supercritical fluids, with carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) being the most commonly employed supercritical fluid due to its remarkable properties. Supercritical fluid extraction (SAE) is widely recognized as the preferred method for producing aerogels [ 15 ]. Additionally, aerogels showcase a multitude of exceptional characteristics, including notable pliability, transparency, reduced thermal conductivity, superior mechanical resilience, and an extremely low dielectric constant.…”

Salicylic Acid Co-Precipitation with Alginate via Supercritical Atomization for Cosmetic Applications

“…Moreover, a good reproducibility in terms of particle size and size distribution can be assured, avoiding aggregation phenomena among particles [ 23 ]. Using this technique, several compounds have been co-precipitated [ 24 , 25 ], with the aim of improving the dissolution rate and thus the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients [ 26 ], controlling the drug release time and mechanism from the microcarrier [ 27 ], and producing microdevices for biomedical applications [ 28 ].…”