Spray-dried Powders Research Articles (Page 1)

The development of protein formulations is grappled by the complexity of maintaining protein integrity during the arduous formulation process. While several excipients have been employed for the stabilization of proteins, including the recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH), a precise process control is still paramount. This study aims to investigate the effect of mannitol polymorphism on the structural stability of rhGH in its spray-dried formulations. rhGH was co-spray dried with mannitol at protein:mannitol ratios (1:0.5 to 1:6, w/w). Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) characterized mannitol crystallinity. Furthermore, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy measured secondary structure pre- and post-accelerated storage (40°C/75% RH, 4weeks), and SDS-PAGE was leveraged to evaluate protein aggregation. Spray-dried powders exhibited spherical particles (1-5µm) with surface indentations. PXRD reported high levels of mannitol crystallization with ratios of 1:0.5, 1:1.5, and 1:6, which was corroborated by the change in crystallization index using DSC. Parallelly, it corresponded to reductions in α-helix content ranging from 21.8 to 25%, after storage. In contrast, the 1:4 ratio predominantly demonstrated an 8.4% increase in α-helix content, indicating enhanced stability. SDS-PAGE confirmed greater aggregation in samples with higher mannitol crystallization, whereas the 1:4 formulation minimized aggregation. Mannitol crystallization strongly influences rhGH stability in spray-dried powders. An optimal protein:mannitol ratio of 1:4 helped maintain mannitol in the amorphous state, preserved secondary structure, and reduced aggregation during storage. These findings underscore excipient crystallization as a key determinant of protein stability and identify a stabilizing composition for spray-dried rhGH.

Deterioration mechanism for the solubility of skimmed egg yolk powder: powder characteristics, rehydration capability and protein structure.

Effect of calcium chelation on the physio-chemical characteristics and rehydration behavior of spray-dried casein-rich powder

Pilot-scale non-sterile mixotrophic cultivation of Galdieria sulphuraria for high-efficient removal of ammonium with enhancing high-protein biomass production from industrial effluent.

Jianpi-huayu Decotion regulates TREM1/DAP12 pathway to improve the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and enhance the anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effect of PD-1 inhibitors.

Effect of amino acids on the compaction behavior and stability of spray-dried trypsin/lactose powder.

Background/Objectives: Citrus × paradisi Macfad., Rutaceae. peel is a rich source of naringin (NR), but its poor solubility and low bioavailability limit applications. This study aimed to improve NR delivery by comparing microencapsulation, liposomal microencapsulation, and buccal films containing either pure NR or grapefruit peel extract. Methods: Four spray-dried powder formulations—spray-dried NR (NS), liposomal NR (NLS), spray-dried extract (ES), and liposomal extract (ELS)—were produced using maltodextrin, β-cyclodextrin, and HPMC as wall materials. Buccal films (EP1, EP2, NP1, NP2) were prepared via solvent casting with HPMC, alginate (ALG), or polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). All samples were evaluated for solubility, moisture content, mucoadhesion, and in vitro release under simulated gastric, intestinal, and salivary conditions. Results: NR powders had the highest absolute solubility (306.42 ± 10.34 µg/mL), whereas ELS showed the lowest due to low loading. However, relative to theoretical NR content, ELS achieved the highest dissolution efficiency (55.3%), followed by NLS (42.7%), outperforming NS (5.6%) and ES (91.8%) in sustained release potential. Dual encapsulation (NLS, ELS) slowed gastric release and maintained intestinal delivery, while non-liposomal powders released rapidly. In buccal films, NP2 (NR + PVA) showed the highest release (69.97 ± 3.01 µg/mL; 40.9% efficiency) and strongest mucoadhesion (0.47 N·s). Extract-based films had lower absolute NR release but higher relative efficiency to content, likely due to co-extracted compounds enhancing wettability and matrix erosion. Conclusions: Liposomal microencapsulation improves relative dissolution efficiency and sustains intestinal release, while PVA-based buccal films enhance both release and mucoadhesion. Polymer choice and active ingredient composition are critical for optimising oral delivery of NR. These results demonstrate the potential of the proposed systems in the pharmaceutical or dietary supplement field, especially in improving the oral delivery of poorly soluble flavonoids. A graphical summary is included, visually summarising the main formulation strategies and results.

Accelerated predictive stability (APS) strategies applied to screening pharmaceutical formulations: A comparison of spray dried and hot melt extruded nifedipine amorphous solid dispersions.

Effects of colloidal delivery systems for curcumin encapsulation and delivery.

Royal jelly, defined as a “superfood,” is a functional food and nutraceutical due to its bioactive compounds, and therefore provides health and medical benefits. However, its sensitivity to spoilage, the need for cold conditions for storage, and its undesirable taste and aroma reduce its functional and commercial value. This study aimed to perform microencapsulation of royal jelly in protective matrices by spray drying to overcome these problems. The freshness indicator of the 10-HDA content of the royal jelly used in the study was 2.44%. It was also revealed that it was suitable for microencapsulation in terms of its other properties. The air inlet temperature significantly influenced all responses, while the coating material ratio influenced the encapsulation efficiency, antioxidant activity, and particle size. Also, feed pump speed affected solubility, moisture content, and water activity. According to desirability (0.81), the optimum spray-drying conditions to obtain the encapsulated royal jelly powder were air inlet temperature (145.81°C), coating material ratio (20%), and feed pump speed (9 mL/min) to obtain desired characteristics of spray-dried powder such as encapsulation efficiency (94.81%), water activity (0.204), total pheno-lic content (128.91 mg GAE/100 g), solubility (96.27%) and particle size (619.76 nm). Under optimized conditions, the predicted values were close to the experimental values. The physicochemical, bioactive, and morphological properties of optimized powders were acceptable.

Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench root is a rich source of alkamides and other bioactive compounds with potential health-promoting effects. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of drying technique and carrier type on alkamide content, antioxidant properties, and process contaminants in E. purpurea powders. Root extracts were subjected to freeze-drying or spray drying at air inlet temperatures of 150, 170, and 190 °C, with maltodextrin, pea protein isolate, or their blend used as carrier agents. The resulting powders were analyzed for physical and chemical properties, including alkamides concentration, total phenolics content, antioxidant capacity, free amino group levels, and markers of advanced Maillard reaction products. Spray-dried powders had a moisture content lower than 2.3%, compared with an average of 7.7% in freeze-dried samples. Spray drying at 150 and 170 °C combined with the maltodextrin–pea protein blend resulted in the highest alkamide levels, while total phenolics content and antioxidant capacity were retained at levels comparable to freeze-drying. Neither hydroxymethyl-L-furfural nor furfural was detected via HPLC in any sample. Overall, spray drying under the tested conditions represents a favorable alternative to freeze drying, yielding E. purpurea root extracts powders with higher alkamides content, similar antioxidant properties, and absence of process contaminants.

Background: Inhaled delivery of cannabidiol (CBD) through dry powder inhalers is a promising approach for achieving optimal drug concentrations in the lungs. Spray drying is a commonly employed technique to prepare inhalable powders with particle sizes ideally ranging from 1 to 5 µm, for deep lung deposition. However, formulating aerosolizable CBD dry powders remains challenging due to the thermolabile nature of CBD and the cohesive behaviour of micron-sized particles, which affects powder dispersibility, reduces de-agglomeration during inhalation, and causes inefficient lung deposition. These challenges can be overcome by the inclusion of excipients that can stabilize CBD during processing and enhance the dispersion and aerosolization of the powder. Objectives and methods: This study investigates the role of different amino acids (lysine, cysteine, arginine, and phenylalanine) in combination with inulin, a sugar-based excipient, on the in vitro aerosolization performance, stability, and cytotoxicity of inhalable CBD dry powders. Results and conclusion: The prepared CBD dry powders exhibited a size range of 1–5 µm. Amino-acid-free CBD powder showed an irregular and flaky morphology, while in association with amino acids, CBD dry powder showed spherical morphology with a dimpled surface. The ATR-FTIR spectra confirmed no interactions between CBD and amino acids in the dry powder formulations. CBD dry powder formulations containing amino acids demonstrated a better aerosolization profile compared to amino-acid-free CBD powder, with the lysine-containing formulation achieving the highest fine particle fraction (FPF) of 56.6%. Additionally, all the formulations were stable under low and high humidity (<15% RH and 53% RH) conditions for 28 days. Cytotoxicity studies on A549 alveolar basal epithelial cells showed that the amino acids were non-toxic, while the CBD formulations with/without amino acids showed comparable levels of cytotoxicity.

Several diseases that affect the pediatric population, e.g., heart diseases, cannot be efficiently treated because of the absence of a suitable dosage form. In this sense, orally disintegrating tablets (ODT) are solid dosage forms that are gaining acceptance. Losartan potassium (LP) is the drug of choice for managing pediatric arterial hypertension, although its bitter taste represents a major challenge to treatment compliance. To mitigate this drawback, this study aimed to develop palatable ODT, by the incorporation of spray-dried powders (SDP), composed of LP, Eudragit® polymers and adjuvants (i.e., colloidal silicon dioxide, mannitol, and PEG4000). The SDP were analyzed in terms of production yield and encapsulation efficiency. Selected SDP were incorporated into ODT by direct compression, and characterized in terms of mechanical and pharmaceutical properties, as well as palatability. Tablets with satisfactory disintegration time, hardness, and friability were obtained, though different performance during in vitro dissolution study. In the palatability study, the volunteer panel confirmed that the ODT-7SDP formulation, prepared by spray drying with Eudragit® E PO and colloidal silicon dioxide, showed a marked reduction in LP bitterness. In conclusion, the applied technologies successfully reduced the bitter taste of LP, enabling its oral administration in the form of ODT, particularly for pediatric patients.

Improving the viability and intestinal accessibility of probiotic bacteria in spray-dried powders is a critical challenge. Our previous studies have revealed that the intestinal-targeted delivery of Eudragit® L100 (L100)-trehalose (Tre)-Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) particles was influenced by drying conditions, demonstrating the potential of L100-Tre-LGG as a spray-dried probiotic product. In this study, we explored the synergistic effect of L100 and Tre on LGG viability by analysing droplet evolution and drying kinetics using a single droplet drying technique. The results showed that the addition of L100 affected particle morphology, crust formation, rehydration and hygroscopic properties, all of which were linked to LGG viability. In addition, monitoring drying kinetic parameters such as temperature and mass revealed that L100 modulated the droplet drying kinetics, synergizing with Tre to increase LGG viability retention. This study found that the presence of L100 significantly improved LGG viability during thermal convective drying and affected the particle formation behaviour and drying kinetics of droplets. The research provides a theoretical basis for developing highly viable spray-dried probiotic powder systems. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

The growing potential of bacteriophage therapy as an alternative treatment for pulmonary infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria has been increasingly recognized. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term stability of spray-dried phage powder formulations for pulmonary delivery, focusing on both biological activity and physicochemical properties. Three phages, PEV1, PEV20, and PEV61, were selected for formulation based on their host range against clinical strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Eight spray-dried formulations, developed with varying proportions of lactose as a stabilizer and leucine as a moisture protectant and powder dispersion enhancer, were stored under controlled conditions at 4°C/15% relative humidity (RH) and 20°C/15% RH for four years. Over this period, phage titers declined with reduction ranging from 0.97 log10 in the most stable formulation to 2.49 log10 in the least stable one. Formulations with higher lactose concentrations (70-80%) demonstrated better preservation of biological activity. While the overall particle morphology remained unchanged, some thread-like elongated features protruding from the particle surfaces were observed, particularly in powders stored at 20°C/15% RH. However, there was a decline in the fine particle fraction (FPF) 50 - 60% to 27-44%. These findings showed the potential of spray-dried phage powders as a viable option for long-term storage to retain bioactivity, but the aerosol performance can be compromised.

Dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) belonging to the Cactaceae family, is gaining popularity in India as a minor tropical fruit crop. However, due to high perishability associated with dragon fruits, drying is one of the most effective viable methods for its long-term preservation. Spray and Drum drying are the two major expensive methods recognized for converting dragon fruit into powder. To overcome this, a low-cost tray drying process was attempted to produce dragon fruit powder with minimal additive incorporation and optimal free-flowing properties. The physico-chemical properties, mineral content and antioxidant activity of the laboratory-produced powder were evaluated and compared with a commercially available spray-dried red dragon fruit powder. The parameters analyzed included moisture content, water activity, whiteness index, total sugars, ascorbic acid, protein, total phenols, total betalains, antioxidant activity (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power; FRAP assay) and mineral content. Results of the data revealed that the laboratory sample demonstrated superior quality, with higher total sugars (26.69 %), protein (1.97 %), total phenols (576.56 mg GAE/100 g), total betalains (96.93 mg BCE/100 g) and FRAP activity (120.80 mg AEAC/100 g). The powder also exhibited the desirable storage properties such as lower moisture content (0.98 %), lower water activity (0.270) and low whiteness index (6.030). Experimental findings revealed that the laboratory produces dragon fruit powder was not only tagged as lower in production costs but also had significantly higher nutrient content, phytochemicals and antioxidant levels compared to the commercial sample.

This study aimed to produce spray-dried tomato powder with improved product yield and powder quality. The experiment for this investigation entailed the use of two carrier agents which were maltodextrin (MD) dextrose equivalent (DE) 20 and gum Arabic (GA) from acacia tree G9752, each at 10% concentration. The carrier agents were combined and mixed with three different enzymes, alpha-amylase from porcine pancreas (AAPP) A6255, pectinase from Aspergillus aculeatus (PAA) P2611, and pectinase from Aspergillus niger (PAN) P4716, each at 1% v/w concentration. This study was conducted by altering the spray drying inlet temperatures to 140oC, 160oC, and 180oC separately. The physicochemical analysis of the tomato powder samples was conducted on the moisture content, powder yield, hygroscopicity, colour features, and 2,2-diphenil-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity (RSA). The powder analysis conducted presented the moisture content of 1.30%-7.00%, colour analysis indices of * at 1.31–5.72, * at 7.5–9.8, * at 89.6–95.39, the production yield of 27.73%–42.65%, hygroscopicity value at 1.05%-6.79%, and antioxidant activity value of 9.51 mg/mL–28.81 mg/mL. Results indicated that sample TP9 was the best powder produced with output analysis of moisture content percentage of 1.3%, colour analysis * value of 3.14, production yield 42.65%, hygroscopicity 1.05%, and antioxidant activity value of 11.94 mg/mL. The study revealed that at higher inlet temperatures and in combination with enzyme PAN it is possible to produce powder characteristics with low moisture content, high * colour index, high production yield, low hygroscopicity value, and high antioxidant activity.

Photoprotective substances are needed to minimize the harmful effects of UV radiation on the skin. In this context, the objective of this work was to develop and characterize a hydrogel containing spray-dried avobenzone and resveratrol loaded nanocapsules using titanium dioxide and microalgae as drying adjuvants. The nanocapsules, previously developed and characterized, were dried using the spray drying technique with the aid of titanium dioxide (3% w/v) and/or a mixture of it (2.7% w/v) with the microalgae of the species Scenedesmus ecornis as excipients (0.3% w/v). The powders showed good yields (67-70%), with low moisture content (&lt;1.5%) and average particle size in the micrometer range (&gt;30 µm). The drying process of spray-dried powders did not significantly affect the content of avobenzone and resveratrol (above 85% for both), although the morphological description indicates the presence of micro-agglomerates. Subsequently, the powders were incorporated into hydrophilic gels prepared with sodium acrylates copolymer and lecithin. Then, the hydrogel containing spray-dried avobenzone and resveratrol loaded nanocapsules was produced and characterized using titanium dioxide and microalgae (HG-NCA+R+TiM) as a drying adjuvant. The formulation was evaluated for irritability by HET-CAM, permeation/penetration of avobenzone, washability profile and in vitro efficacy. The hydrogel presented a pH value of 7.52, drug content of 1.24% for avobenzone (w/w) and 0.04% for resveratrol (w/w), and a non-Newtonian pseudoplastic rheological behavior. The free avobenzone from a hydrogel and from HG-NCA+R+TiM did not permeate the skin layers. The evaluation by HET-CAM did not detect irritating reactions of the formulation. The structure of HG-NCA+R+TiM allowed a greater resistance to the washing flow indicating good adhesive capacity on the skin surface in comparison to the free hydrogel. The in vitro efficacy test showed that HG-NCA+R+TiM absorbed and spreaded the UV light with maximum wavelengths in the erythematous range (305-328 nm). In conclusion, these spray-dried powders are promising formulations to be incorporated into photoprotective hydrogels intended for cutaneous administration.

Quercetin (Que) is widely recognized for its antioxidant and neuroprotective properties; however, its clinical potential remains limited due to poor solubility and low oral bioavailability. Nasal powders have emerged as a promising strategy to overcome these limitations, taking advantage of nose-to-brain delivery, offering a direct, non-invasive route to the central nervous system while bypassing first-pass metabolism. This study aims to extend previous work by systematically investigating the impact of different preparation methods (spray drying vs. lyophilization) and the incorporation of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and mannitol/lecithin microparticles (MLMPs) on the physicochemical characteristics, structural properties, and in vitro diffusion behavior of HPβCD-based nasal powder formulations of Que. Thermal behavior and stability were analyzed using TGA, while morphology and particle distribution were assessed via Scanning Electron Microscopy. In vitro diffusion studies using Franz cells and regenerated cellulose membranes were conducted under simulated nasal conditions. Among all tested formulations, the spray-dried HPβCD/Que powder (F4) showed the highest permeation (0.11 ± 0.01 mg/cm2 at 120 min). The inclusion of HPMC improved thermal stability but reduced Que diffusion, likely due to increased viscosity and matrix formation. Blending with MLMPs enhanced powder flow and dose placement, although it modestly reduced diffusion efficiency. Overall, this study highlights the potential of HPβCD-based spray-dried powders for nasal Que delivery and demonstrates how HPMC and MLMPs can be strategically employed to tailor performance characteristics.

Abstract Boza is a traditional lactic acid and yeast-fermented beverage. Boza has a short shelf life of up to 15 days, due to the presence of viable microbiota. Spray drying was performed to extend the shelf life. Spray-dried powders have poor reconstitution and instant properties that may restrict consumption. To overcome this problem, the fluidized bed agglomeration process was used for the first time to improve the quality of boza powders. Spray-dried boza powders were agglomerated in a fluidized bed agglomerator using sucrose binder. The optimum process conditions for obtaining samples with minimum moisture content, wettability time, angle of repose and maximum LAB number, particle size, solubility, porosity values were determined as 73.92 °C air inlet temperature, 0.7 bar atomization pressure and 22.67 mL binder amount (desirability: 0.87). Under these conditions, the number of LAB decreased by about 2 log units. At the optimum point, boza powder showed instant wetting behavior with 28.3 s wetting time while it was 99.33 in spray-dried form. Instant boza powder was categorized as having low cohesiveness and good flowability with an 11.62° angle of repose value, while it was 36.44° in spray-dried form. The loss modulus (G″) was lower than the storage modulus (G′) at all applied angular frequencies (ω), indicating the elastic properties of the reconstituted instant boza. Agglomeration technology has a strong potential to solve the dilution problems of boza powder and enable the production of boza products that can be consumed at all times of the year.