DRY POWDER FORMULATION FROM PHYSALIS PERUVIANA L. FRUITS EXTRACT WITH ANTIDIABETIC ACTIVITY FORMULATED VIA CO-SPRAY DRYING

Abstract

Objective: To establish the drying conditions of an extract of fruits of Physalis peruviana using spray drying (SD) technique by applying a statistical experimental design (SED), to obtain powders for direct compression, retaining the antidiabetic activity. Methods: A 2[6-2] fractional factorial SED was used to get a suitable SD operating conditions to produce powder extract of P. peruviana with high process yield, acceptable moisture content, good flowability, low hygroscopicity and satisfactory morphological and particle size. Operating variables studied were air inlet temperature, atomization air flow rate, feed-rate pump, aspiration rate, extract concentration and coadjuvant proportion. P. peruviana powder obtained under the operating conditions selected was evaluated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and by in vitro α-amylase inhibition assay, to prove that the antidiabetic activity was remained after the SD. Results: Injection temperature (120 °C), atomization air flow rate (600 l/h), pump setting (5 %), aspirator setting (100 %), extract concentration (7.5 % p/p) and extract: coadjuvant ratio (1:0.75), were the operational conditions selected. Dry extract showed an amorphous state by XRPD and a probable protective effect of coadjutant on the extract, characterized by DSC and the antidiabetic in vitro assay. Antidiabetic activity of the extract remained after its transformation to a solid state by SD in the chosen conditions. Conclusion: The results suggest that coprocessed extract could be used for the production of compressed solids or employed as an intermediate herbal product for the treatment of diabetes.