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Almost any aqueous based material, and some non-aqueous solutions,
can be freeze dried. Fruits and vegetables are common materials
that are freeze dried. But did you know you can freeze dry many
other materials? The end result is a stable powder that can be
packed and stored, or used in a new form, like encapsulating,
compressing into tablets, or just storing in air tight bags for
resale. Botanicals, aqueous blends, extracts, nutraceuticals,
chemicals, biologicals, cultures, and many other materials can
benefit from freeze drying.
At
Apex Lyo we can dry a wide range of materials. Our customized
dryers and automation system adapt to differences in materials
allowing us significant flexibility. Coupled with our knowledge
and experience, we ask, "what can we dry for you?"
Scroll down to learn more about freeze drying and its application
to a variety of materials. Or
contact
us
directly to discuss your current drying needs or ideas for the
next new product.
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Herbal Extracts
and Botanicals |
Extracts from plants, fruits, vegetables, roots, and other
botanical materials are well suited for freeze drying.
As aqueous solutions, freeze drying will stabilize the extract
in a solid powder form that can be repackaged, formed into
tablets, encapsulated, or used for further processing. Freeze drying preserves the chemical integrity of the extract
ensuring high potency and effectiveness. In a stable,
powder form, scientific studies on the extracts can be
performed using known, repeatable quantities.
Some examples of freeze dried extracts are coffee, açaí berry,
aloe vera, tea, vanilla, peppermint, ginger, grape seed, kava,
wheat grass, ginseng, and many more.
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Nutraceuticals, or functional foods as they are sometimes
called, are isolated nutrients from foods that offer various
health benefits beyond their simple nutritional value. A
pharmaceutical is a synthetic drug used in the treatment of
disease. A nutraceutical uses concentrated natural nutrients
to treat disease and provide various health benefits.
Freeze drying is an ideal method of stabilizing the food while
maintaining the effectiveness and function of the nutrients. In the dried form the nutrient can be accurately controlled
and administered in scientific studies. Stabilizing the food
allows the time necessary to conduct such studies.
A major benefit of freeze drying foods for nutraceutical use
is the concentration effect. Whereas a food, such as
broccoli, may have 1% nutraceutical value in its natural form,
freeze drying concentrates those components to 10% of the
dried weight. One pound of fresh broccoli will have less than
0.2 oz of nutraceutical. One pound of freeze dried broccoli
will have over 1.5 oz of nutraceutical. This is quite useful
for controlled testing and determining effectiveness.
An example of a nutraceutical is the sulforaphane found in
broccoli which may be a cancer preventative. Antioxidants
found in many foods are also considered nutraceuticals such as
resveratrol found in grape seed and the polyphenols found in
green tea.
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If you are looking to stabilize proteins, enzymes, peptides,
or other biologicals, freeze drying is an excellent method.
Aqueous solutions of these materials can be frozen and
lyophilized to produce stable, easily handled products for use
in research, and commercial or consumer applications.
Examples of these materials are egg white albumin, HSA (human
serum albumin), BSA (bovine serum albumin), pancreatic
ribonuclease A, lysine, wheat gluten, and arginine. The
latter three offering various health benefits.
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Numerous aqueous solutions of chemicals or compounds can be
stabilized by freeze drying. Once in the dried form they can
be used in ways not possible in the liquid form. Chemicals
that are unstable in solution can be stabilized by freeze
drying. Having chemicals or compounds in a dry form allows
for exceptional convenience in handling and application.
Paint pigments are a good example. Chemicals and compounds can
also be rendered to a more safe form by freeze drying.
Imagination is the only limit in determining if freeze drying
is useful for your chemicals and compounds.
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A variety of bacteria and yeasts can be preserved by freeze
drying. Once dried and packed, these organisms are stable and
can be reanimated at a later time by adding water. Bacchus malolactic, acidophilus, bifidus regularis are just a few
examples. The probiotic market continues to grow as a source
of health and nutrition. Yogurt with active cultures is
probably the most well known application.
For more information on types of bacteria and their
application, follow these links
Chr Hansen
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Algae has been found to be a dense food source for humans and
animals. Blue-Green Algae may have additional health
benefits. Algaes benefit from freeze drying in a number of
ways. Freeze drying preserves the nutrients creating greater
potency. The resulting powder is conveniently handled and can
be formed into tablets or encapsulated. In the freeze dried
form algae is easily soluble and absorbable.
Freeze dried algae is also used as a
food source
for zooplankton growth and nutrient release studies
and as fish food.
Fungi are also suitable for freeze drying.
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Freeze drying stabilizes medicines, creates powders for
tableting or encapsulating, and allows rehydration at a later
time. Pharmaceutical companies often use freeze drying to
create products with long shelf life such as vaccines or other
medicines for injections. These medicines can then be
transported all over the world without spoiling.
Medical Devices
Freeze
drying
preserves the form and shape of materials that may be used for
wound care, stints, patches, etc. that are rehydrated by wound
fluids. Hemcon
is a company taking advantage of lyophilization
to produce revolutionary wound care products.
Please note: We
are not a cGMP facility at this time. We dry these materials
for testing, R&D, cycle development, and/or manufacturing
purposes.
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There is no limit to what can be freeze dried. New and
interesting materials are being freeze dried every day. Electronic devices, pharmaceuticals, chemical gas generants,
thousands of biologicals, thousands of extracts, paint
pigments, water damaged books and papers, wound care devices,
and always various foodstuffs. The range of creativity is
unlimited.
What will be your next new application of freeze drying. Contact
Apex Lyo for more information.
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There are some materials that we do not normally freeze dry.
These include fruits, vegetables, meals for home food storage,
and flowers/floral arrangements. Freeze drying these items is
usually cost prohibitive and can be obtained other ways or
from other suppliers. If you absolutely must have these done,
please contact us.
We do not freeze dry animals and animal parts for taxidermy.
Our dryers hold up to 120 pounds (50 kgs) each and we can
process approximately 500 pounds per week (60 gallons liquid). |
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