Fluid bed drying and agglomeration of phytopharmaceutical compositions

• Fluidized bed encapsulation of phytopharmaceutical compositions
• Design of multifunctional agglomerated product by fluid bed technology
• Entrapment of bioproducts in lipid based compositions
• Equipment and composition variables affect the fluidized bed agglomeration.

This work aims to investigate the feasibility of fluidised beds for seed agglomeration of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) extract compositions, attempting to form a product with adequate pharmacotechnical and physicochemical properties. Lipid- and carbohydrate-based compositions with different viscosities were top sprayed onto fluidised beds of cassava flour or sugar pellets as seed particles. The compositions used were also spray-dried to compare the physicochemical properties of the product generated by the two processes. The viscosity of the feed formulations influenced the efficiency of the coating/agglomeration and the agglomeration percentage of the granules. Fluidised bed granules exhibited higher efficiency of coating/agglomeration, higher retention of bioactive compounds and better flow properties than the powder obtained by spray drying.

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