N-acetylcysteine micronization by the SEDS technique using supercritical CO2

Abstract

N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) is a thiol (-SH) with a strong antioxidant activity. This compound has demonstrated positive effects on chronic kidney disease, cancer, pulmonary insufficiency and other diseases. The aim of this work was to investigate the application of the Solution Enhanced Dispersion by Supercritical Fluids (SEDS) technique in the micronization of NAC using a 23 Central Composite Design (CCD) with 3 central points, as well as to assess the influence of active compound concentration, temperature and pressure on the particle size produced. The average size of the drug before SEDS processing was verified to be 709.82 µm while the best result led to a particle size of 2.86 µm, which means a reduction of about 248 fold. It was also observed that a reduction in particle size led to an increase in the dissolution rate with 100% dissolution.