Supercritical Fluid Precipitation Technology: Micro- and nano-particles of carotenoids and bio-polymers

Carotenoid formulation is of great interest for the pharmaceutical and food industry. A proper formulation and particle size is essential to obtain high colorant activity. Thus, a suitable technology to produce particles from these natural substances must be used to avoid the degradation and loss of commercial value of the colorants. Supercritical fluid precipitation processes are an excellent alternative to formulate carotenoids, especially supercritical antisolvent processes, which are the main topic of this thesis. Also, a novel method, the Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Emulsions (SFEE) is presented and the fundamentals of this process are evaluated with the aid of a mathematical model.