PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SPRAY-DRIED POWDERS FROM ACHYROCLINE SATUREIOIDES (LAM) DC EXTRACTS

Two Achyrocline satureioides spray-dried extracts were prepared from 8 0% ethanol using raw material pretreated with petroleum ether (Pi) in one case and nontreated crude vegetable drug (P2) in the other case. T he atomization was carried out in a Buchi 190 Mini-spray dryer using c olloidal silicon dioxide as technological carrier. The ethanol content was previously reduced to 10% (v/v) in a low pressure distillation sy stem and the extracts were concentrated four-fold. The nonpolar fracti on was maintained in a homogeneous suspension by addition of 2% (w/w) polysorbate 80. The main flavonoids in the feed solutions and in the s pray-dried powders were assayed by HPLC and their concentrations in th e final products, P1 and P2, were 99%-101%. Both spray-dried extracts presented good physical properties (hygroscopicity, particle form and size). The results suggest that the petroleum ether treatment of raw m aterial did not influence the technological properties of the final sp ray dried products. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.