Quercetin nanocrystals prepared using a microfluidic chip with improved in vitro dissolution

Abstract

Objective

In order to improve the dissolution property of quercetin (QCT), the quercetin nanocrystals (QNCs) were prepared in this study.

Methods

QNCs were prepared by a 100 μm diameter Y-shape microfluidic channel. Some impact factors affecting the generation of QNCs such as concentration and flow rate were investigated. Furthermore, the fluid mixing in the microfluidic channel was simulated by fluid software.

Results

XRPD and DSC analyses indicated that the prepared QNCs were amorphous. Stable QNCs with a particle size of 77.9 ± 3.63 nm and polydispersity index of 0.26 ± 0.02 were obtained. TEM showed that the as-prepared QNCs had a uniform spherical shape with an average particle size of about 100–300 nm. In the dissolution medium without cosolvent Tween −80, the dissolution of QCT was poor, its final accumulated dissolution was only 3.95%, while that of QNCs was 66%.

Conclusion

When QCT was changed to QNCs by microfluidic technology, its dissolution property could be obviously improved. Therefore, microfluidic technology as a new method to prepare nanocrystals has a good applying prospect in improving dissolution property for poorly water-soluble drugs.

Keywords:

• Nanocrystals
• quercetin
• microfluidic technology
• dissolution
• stability

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This experiment was supported by the Guizhou Provincial Science and Technology Projects (Guizhou Scientific Foundation-ZK[2021] General 524); Science and Technology Fund project of Guizhou Health Commission (gzwkj2022-233).