Technological development of Cecropia glaziovi extract pellets by extrusion-spheronization

Cecropia glaziovi Snethl., Urticaceae, is commonly used in South America and is one of the species included in the Brazilian Medicinal Plants Research Program. Pharmacological studies have led to reports of the potential of C. glaziovi as a hypotensive, antiasthmatic and anxiolytic agent. The strict requirements regarding the quality, safety and effectiveness of phytopharmaceutical products represent an enormous challenge in the search for products with a high level of uniformity, reproducibility and stability. The incorporation of dry extracts into multiparticulate dosage forms, such as pellets produced by extrusion/spheronization technology, is a suitable alternative to overcome the lack of technological properties of dry extracts, since they are associated with low flowability and high hygroscopicity. In this study, an optimized dry extract (ODE) of C. glaziovi was incorporated into pellets seeking to decrease the moisture sorption and increase the stability, safety and percentage of the extract in the final product. Pellets containing around 50% of ODE were considered the most technologically viable, offering a narrow particle size distribution, significant improvement in the flowability and compressibility properties, and decrease in the moisture compared with the ODE. In conclusion, pellets containing a high dose of the C. glaviovi extract were successfully prepared, achieving degrees of quality, physical stability and feasibility compatible with the desirable characteristics of a phytopharmaceutical.