Impregnacion de particulas de silice con antioxidantes naturales usando tecnologia supercritica

Abstract

The current society demands, with increasing interest, the opportunity to use antioxidants obtained from natural products, given the enormous health benefits they can provide. For better and more suitable use of these antioxidants, it is necessary to be in appropriate formulations, being the most common form of solid-state dosage. The size, shape and size distribution of solid particles affects their behavior, being a key strategic factor for the introduction into the market of a new active ingredient. A smaller size and a bigger homogeneity in the particles, increase its dissolution rate, its bioavailability and therefore their efficacy, requiring smaller doses. If the objective is about to protect the antioxidant particles, it can be coated with a layer of some biodegradable substance, usually a polymer, encapsulating or co-precipitating. If the objective is to create a system for carrying these particles, obtaining controlled release systems, these nanoparticles should be be deposited in solid matrices, usually very porous. This project aims to achieve the impregnation of silica particles with nanoparticles of natural antioxidants using supercritical technology, in order to obtain controlled release systems of great interest to the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetics industry. The chosen active ingredients are two compounds from mango leaves: mangiferin and quercetin. Besides its antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, etc..., these two compounds have been selected due to the enormous mango cultivation developed in Andalusia the last years. As encapsulating agent, phthalate cellulose acetate will be used, focus of attention for its capacity to protect the drug in acid media, protecting the antioxidant particles across the stomach to the intestinal duct. As a carrier agent, silica particles have been selected for their high porosity, chemically inert and for their wide use in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and medical industries. The main objectives of this research work that are the co-precipitation of nanoparticles of antioxidant with cellulose acetate phthalate and the formation and impregnation of silica micro-particles with these compounds, can be obtained using supercritical technology, concretely with supercritical CO2.