Aerosol Performance of Beta-carotene Supplementation Prepared by Spray and Spray-Freeze Drying

The goal of the present work is to find a suitable method for developing β-carotene aerosols by varying core (active material) to wall (excipient) ratios (1:10, 1:25, and 1:50). For this, spray freeze drying (SFD) and spray drying (SD) techniques were adopted to develop aerosols. The results revealed that aerosols from SFD had low density and free-flowing behavior; whereas, SD samples were cohesive. SFD aerosols were porous and SD samples had smooth structures, with sizes of 8.3 to 9.3 and 9.3 to 9.6 µm, respectively. All formulations exhibited good mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMADt) of 3.75 to 6.96 µm and % emitted dosage was found higher in SFD aerosols (around 57 to 60%). Release of β-carotene through the in-vitro study was found higher in SFD samples and controlled release was observed in 1:50 formulation. In 12 h release, around 64% and 74% contents were released from SD and SFD aerosol samples, respectively. Particle density, size, and morphology strongly affect particle deposition in the lungs’ and this approach can be conveniently scale-up for pulmonary supplementation of food bioactive compounds.