Wanderley P. Oliveira

Clove (Syzygium aromaticum): a precious spice

Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) is one of the most valuable spices that has been used for centuries as food preservative and for many medicinal purposes. Clove is native of Indonesia but nowadays is cultured in several parts of the world including Brazil in the state of Bahia. This plant represents one of the richest source of phenolic compounds such as eugenol, eugenol acetate and gallic acid and posses great potential for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and agricultural applications. This review includes the main studies reporting the biological activities of clove and eugenol. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of clove is higher than many fruits, vegetables and other spices and should deserve special attention. A new application of clove as larvicidal agent is an interesting strategy to combat dengue which is a serious health problem in Brazil and other tropical countries. Pharmacokinetics and toxicological studies were also mentioned. The different studies reviewed in this work confirm the traditional use of clove as food preservative and medicinal plant standing out the importance of this plant for different applications.

Attainment of Emulsions with Liquid Crystal from Marigold Oil Using the Required HLB Method

Development of new formulations for topical use and cosmetic and pharmaceutical delivery agents has increased the complexity of emulsified systems. Liquid crystals, known since the nineteenth century are the third phase of an emulsion, being responsible for increasing its stability and the solubility of substances poorly soluble in water, or the oily phase, modulating the release of drugs imprisoned in its structure and promoting hydration of the skin surface. In the present work we developed oil/water emulsions, making use of Marigold oil (Calendula officinalis L) and ethoxylated fat alcohols as surfactant. The required HLB value for marigold oil was determined to be 6.0. The surfactants were associated in lipophilic/hydrophilic pairs. The lipophilic surfactants were Ceteth‐2 and Steareth‐2 and the hydrophilic surfactants were Steareth‐20, Ceteareth‐20, Ceteareth‐5, and Ceteth‐10. To identify the liquid crystalline phases, the emulsions were analyzed by polarized light microscopy. The physical stability was evaluated by rheology and zeta potential analysis. All emulsions presented lamellar liquid crystal structures. Results showed that this type of surfactant is able to produce liquid crystal in the system, with slight difference in appearance, influencing the physical stability, according to the methods applied.

Volatile Retention and Antifungal Properties of Spray-Dried Microparticles of Lippia sidoides Essential Oil

Spray drying microencapsulation of Lippia sidoides essential oil was investigated. Maltodextrin DE10 and gum arabic at different proportions (4:1, 3:2, 2:3, 0:1 m/m) was used as a carrier. The content of essential oil related to the carrier was 20 and 25% in weight and the emulsions were atomized from 30% up to 60% (m/m) of total solid concentration. Spray dryer inlet temperatures varied from 140 to 160°C and the best thermal efficiency and powder recovery were found at 160°C. Product properties and process performance were assessed on the basis of microscopic features of the powder (shape and size of microparticles), moisture content, and powder recovery. Encapsulation efficiency was estimated through determination of the content of essential oil in the microcapsules. The best encapsulation efficiency was related to experimental parameters as follows: solid content of the encapsulating composition of 50% (m/m), maltodextrin:gum arabic ratio of 0:1 (m/m) and carrier:essential oil ratio of 4:1 (m/m). Antifungal activities of microparticles were evaluated, evidencing their potential as important antifungal agents. The positive findings in this study encourage further research and provide perspectives for the development of phytotherapeutic products from essential oil of Lippia sidoides.

Experimental production of annatto powders in spouted bed dryer

A new method for the production of annatto powders by drying the alkaline aqueous extracts in a spouted bed was studied. The effects of drying conditions such as air inlet temperature and extract feed rate on the properties of the powder obtained were investigated. The powder properties taken as quality parameters were the bixin and moisture content and the particle size distribution. Results on total through-put, bixin content and recovery obtained showed that spouted bed drying of aqueous extracts is advantageous when compared to extraction by mechanical attrition. Also the data showed that above the drying temperature of 80 °C the bixin content decreases sharply. The particle sizes of the powder were always below 60 μm.

Manufacture of Standardized Dried Extracts from Medicinal Brazilian Plants

ABSTRACT This article presents a brief review of the research conducted at Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Processes of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto/São Paulo University, aiming to obtain standardized dried extracts from medicinal Brazilian plants. The spray and spouted-bed dryer performance and physicochemical product properties during the drying of hydro-alcoholic extracts of three plants used in the Brazilian traditional medicine, namely, Passiflora alata, Bauhinia forficata, and Maytenus ilicifolia, are evaluated comparatively.

Powder Properties and System Behavior during Spray Drying of Bauhinia forficata Link Extract

This article presents a study of the effects of the spray-drying conditions on product properties and dryer performance during manufacture of dried extracts of Bauhinia forficata. The product properties (loss on drying of the dried extract, flavonoids degradation ratio, product size distribution, bulk and loose densities, powder morphology) and the equipment performance were determined as a function of the input parameters (dryer inlet temperature, ratio between the feed flow rate of the extract to the dryer evaporation capacity, and feed flow rate of the drying gas). Regression equations correlating powder characteristics and dryer behavior to input process parameters were obtained. The results demonstrate significant impact of the processing conditions on product properties and dryer performance. The loss on drying is a key property, since low values are demanded for the acceptance of the dried extract. In general, due to strict product specifications, the drying conditions that give an end product with the required quality are not associated with the optimal drying performance.

Physicochemical Properties of Phytopharmaceutical Preparations as Affected by Drying Methods and Carriers

This article reports a study of the effects of the drying methods and drying carriers on system performance and physicochemical properties of spray- and spouted bed–dried phytopharmaceutical preparations from Bidens pilosa L. Colloidal silicon dioxide, β-cyclodextrin, maltodextrin dextrose equivalent (DE) 10, and microcrystalline cellulose were used as drying carriers. The dried product was characterized by the particle size and morphology, total flavonoid content, solubility, flowability, and water activity. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to detect four marker compounds previously reported for this plant. Spray and spouted bed drying systems were compared through energetic efficiency, product recovery, elutriation, and product accumulation. The crystalline state of the powders was assessed by X-ray diffraction. Results showed high degradation rates for total flavonoid content and marker compounds during spouted bed drying. Depending on the drying carrier added to extractive solutions, different degrees of protection from degradation were conferred, and the physical characteristics of the product were changed accordingly. The lowest flavonoid degradation (8.6%) and the higher concentration of marker compounds were obtained using β-cyclodextrin as the drying carrier. Particle size was higher when a blend of Aerosil (Evonik Degussa, Hanau, Germany) and cellulose was employed as the drying carrier. A maximum product recovery of 86.9% was achieved by spray drying and 72.9% by spouted bed drying with the Aerosil : cellulose composition.

Processing of Rosmarinus officinalis linne extract on spray and spouted bed dryers

Abstract - This article presents an investigation of the potential of spray and spouted bed technology for the production of dried extracts of Rosmarinus officinalis Linne, popularly known as rosemary . The extractive solution was characterized by loss on drying, extractable matter and total phenolic and flavonoid compounds (chemical markers). The product was characterized by determination of loss on drying, size distribution, morphology, flow properties and thermal degradation and thermal behavior. The spray and spouted bed dryer performance were assessed through estimation of thermal efficiency, product accumulation and product recovery. The parameters studied were the inlet temperature of the spouting gas (80 and 150 o C) and the feed mass flow rate of concentrated extract relative to the evaporation capacity of the dryer, W s /W max (15 to 75%). The atomizing air flow rate was maintained at 20 l/min with a pressure of 196.1 kPa. The spouting gas flow rate used in the drying runs was 40% higher than the gas flow under the condition of minimum spouting. The spray drying gas flow rate was fixed at 0.0118 kg/s. Under the conditions studied, performance in the spray and spouted bed drying of

Spouted bed drying of Bauhinia forficata link extract: the effects of feed atomizer position and operating conditions on equipment performance and product properties

In this paper the effects of feed atomizer position and operating conditions on equipment performance (accumulation rate, product recovery, elutriation and thermal efficiency) and product properties (moisture content, size distribution, flavonoid degradation and flow properties) during spouted bed drying of Bauhinia forficata Link extract are evaluated. The parameters studied were the position of the atomizer system (top spray or bottom spray), the inlet temperature of the spouting gas (80 and 150oC) and the feed mass flow rate of concentrated extract relative to the evaporation capacity of the dryer, Ws/Wmax (15 to 100%). Higher accumulation rate values were obtained with the atomizer placed at the bottom of the bed. In this configuration, the accumulation rate increases with the increase in the Ws/Wmax ratio. The best drying performance was obtained for the top spray configuration.

Polyhydroxy Alcohols and Peach Oil Addition Influence on Liquid Crystal Formation and Rheological Behavior of O/W Emulsions

The aim of this study was to develop O/W emulsions with a self‐emulsifying base (SEB) containing liquid crystals (LC) and evaluate the influence of polyhydroxy alcohols and peach oil addition in liquid crystal formation as well as to analyze the rheological behavior of these systems. Formulations containing SEB were supplemented or not with glycerin, sorbitol, propylene glycol, and/or peach oil. All formulations studied had lamellar crystalline phases. Peach oil addition increased the viscosity of SEB, while humectants had different behavior, glycerin enhanced the viscosity of the studied formulations supplemented or not with peach oil, and propylene glycol decreased the viscosity of all formulations studied. On the other hand, sorbitol enhanced the viscosity of formulations containing peach oil. All emulsions presented pseudoplastic behavior and thixotropy.