Preparation of quercetin nanorod/microcrystalline cellulose formulation via fluid bed coating crystallization for dissolution enhancement

Abstract This study reports a novel quercetin nanorod/microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) formulation prepared by fluid bed coating crystallization technique. The process comprises fluidized bed spray coating of quercetin acetone solution onto MCC particles, solvent evaporation and crystallization of quercetin nanorods on MCC surface. Depending on the quercetin solution concentration, quercetin nanorods with 100–300 nm in diameter and 1–3 µm in length were obtained. Owing to the small particle size and large surface area, a higher dissolution rate was achieved for quercetin nanorods in contrast to the raw quercetin, which therefore led to higher antioxidant activities. In addition, the obtained quercetin nanorod/MCC formulation exhibited a good storage stability within 12 months. The developed quercetin nanorod/MCC formulation could be used for further pharmaceutical dosage or food supplements processing.