The influence of spray drying process conditions on physical, chemical properties and lung inhaling performance of Panax notoginseng saponins − tanshinone Ⅱ A composite particles

This study is to report the influence of conditions in spray drying process on physical and chemical properties and lung inhaling performance of Panax notoginseng Saponins − Tanshinone II A composite particles.  According to the physical and chemical properties of the two types of components within the composite particles, three solvent systems were selected including ethanol, ethanol∶acetone (9∶1, v/v) and ethanol∶acetone (4∶1, v/v), and three inlet temperature: 110 ℃, 120 ℃, 130 ℃ to prepare seven different composite particle samples; each sample was characterized using laser diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic vapour sorption (DVS) and atomic force microscope (AFM), and their aerodynamic behavior was evaluated by a Next Generation Impactor (NGI).  The results indicate that under the conditions of using the mixed solvent system of ethanol − acetone volume ratio of 9∶1, and the inlet temperature of 110 ℃, the resulting composite particles showed rough surface, with more tanshinone II A distributing in the outer layer, such composite particles have the best lung inhaling performance and the ?ne particle fraction (FPF) close to 60%.  Finally it is concluded that by adjusting the conditions in co-spray drying process, the distribution amount and existence form of tanshinone II A in the outer layer of the particles can be changed so that to enhance lung inhaling performance of the drug composite particles.