Processing of pharmaceutical materials by electrospraying under reduced pressure

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Technology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Electrospraying is an established technique for producing drug particles.
• Optimizing particle properties is crucial for effective drug delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of drying pressure on electrosprayed drug particle characteristics.
• To explore the potential of electrospraying for producing particles with specific pharmaceutical attributes.

Main Methods:

• Budesonide, a model drug, was dissolved in chloroform and electrosprayed.
• Charged droplets were neutralized and dried under varying pressures.
• Resulting particles were analyzed for size, porosity, crystallinity, and dissolution.

Main Results:

• Reduced drying pressure resulted in more porous particles.
• Particle porosity and crystallinity were affected by pressure.
• Faster dissolution rates were observed for particles produced under reduced pressure.

Conclusions:

• A novel electrospraying setup for reduced pressure operation was developed.
• Drying pressure significantly impacts particle morphology and properties.
• Electrospraying offers tunable control over drug particle characteristics.