Journal of Supercritical Fluids, Vol.125, 31-41, 2017
Coprecipitation of turmeric extracts and polyethylene glycol with compressed carbon dioxide
Low bioavailability and poor absorption of turmeric bioactives in human body limit their application. In order to propose products with improved stability we investigate the quality of coprecipitated microparticles of polyethyleneglycol (PEG) and turmeric extracts, which were obtained using dichloromethane (DCM) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as solvents and compressed carbon dioxide as antisolvent. The effects of pressure, antisolvent flow, concentration of extract and solvent proportion were investigated. The mean size of microparticles varied between 20.52 and 182.74 mu m. Particle size distribution indicate irregularities that were confirmed by polydispersive index (PDI) values, and by the images obtained with scanning electron microscopy. The profile of bioactives was analyzed using two approaches, i.e., a qualitative (Thin-Layer Chromatography), which indicated weak presence and a quantitative (Antioxidant Activity), which indicated relevant contribution of these substances present in coprecipitates for the inhibition of (beta-carotene oxidation, besides evidence the efficiency of PEG as wall material. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords:Antisolvent coprecipitation;Compressed carbon dioxide;Microparticles;Curcuminoids;Turmeric volatile oil