Precipitation and encapsulation of β-sitosterol using supercritical antisolvent (SAS) method for controlled...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Food Science

Background:

• Beta-sitosterol (βsit), a plant phytosterol, offers health benefits but suffers from poor solubility and bioavailability.
• These limitations hinder its effective use in nutraceuticals and functional foods.
• Developing advanced delivery systems is crucial for optimizing βsit's therapeutic potential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To precipitate and encapsulate βsit within polycaprolactone (PCL) using the Supercritical Anti-Solvent (SAS) process.
• To create a controlled delivery system for nutraceutical bioactives.
• To optimize SAS process conditions for βsit precipitation and microparticle formation.

Main Methods:

• Supercritical Anti-Solvent (SAS) process utilizing supercritical CO₂ as an anti-solvent.
• Precipitation of βsit from ethyl acetate solution at controlled temperature and pressure (9 MPa selected as optimal).
• Encapsulation of βsit with polycaprolactone (PCL) and evaluation of Tween 80 (T80) effects.

Main Results:

• Successful micronization of βsit within PCL microparticles via SAS precipitation.
• Optimal conditions (9 MPa, 40°C) identified for βsit precipitation.
• Tween 80 (T80) inclusion improved incorporation efficiency, microparticle uniformity, and process yield.
• PCL encapsulation slowed βsit release, while T80 accelerated it.

Conclusions:

• The SAS process is effective for micronizing βsit and PCL into a controlled delivery system.
• Formulation parameters, including T80, significantly influence βsit release kinetics.
• This technology shows promise for enhancing the delivery of bioactive compounds in functional foods and nutraceuticals.