Gastro-resistant spray-dried CITRUS AURANTIUM extract microsystems: improvement of dissolution rate and pharmacological activity

Ctrus Aurantium(qual. MORO),also called bitter orange,have aroused great interest because of their potential beneficial effects on human health, such as weight-loss and appetite suppression,anti-diabetic and hypocolesterolemic activity(1-29. Flavones such as Heperidin, Naringenin and their aglycones, are predominant in Ctrus species. They posses some pharmacological effects probably due their antioxidant and radical scavenging activities. Unfortunately, their absorption from the gastro-intestinal tractis slow and irregolar, as a result of they very slight solubility in water, slow dissolution rate and instability in the gastric environment in vivo(4-6)Therefore the purpose of the present research was obtain spray-dried gastro-resistant micrisystems containing spray-dried extract (ORTOGEL S.p.A.)with improved oral bioavailability.