Fig 1.
Schematic workflow illustrating the preparation of Phy-Blica-O decoction (Section 2.1), extraction of its phenolic-rich extract (Section 2.2), and development of its microencapsulation using spray drying (Section 2.3).
The process starts with preparing PBO decoction, followed by freeze-drying to produce powdered extract. The phenolic-rich extract is then obtained through a series of solvent partitioning steps involving diethyl ether, chloroform, and ethyl acetate under pH-controlled conditions (upper panel). Both the PBO decoction and its phenolic-rich extract are used as core materials for microencapsulation. Coating materials, including maltodextrin (MD) and gum Arabic (GA), are dissolved in water and mixed with the core materials at different ratios. The feed slurry is spray-dried at inlet temperatures of 140°C and 180°C to produce encapsulated powders, which are then evaluated for their physicochemical and antioxidant properties (lower panel).
Table 1.
Encapsulation conditions, yields, and efficiency of Phy-Blica-O particles prepared at various inlet temperatures and different proportions of wall materials.
Table 2.
The physicochemical properties of microencapsulated Phy-Blica-O produced at different inlet temperatures and with varying proportions of wall materials.
Table 3.
The appearance of microencapsulated Phy-Blica-O powders varies based on different inlet temperatures and wall material proportions.
Fig 2.
Scanning electron micrographs depict the morphology of microencapsulated Phy-Blica-O powders created through spray drying at inlet temperatures of 140°C (A–C) and 180°C (D–F).
The powders utilize different maltodextrin (MD) to gum Arabic (GA) ratios: (A, D) MD:GA (10:0), (B, E) MD:GA (8:2), and (C, F) MD:GA (6:4). The scale bars indicate 5 µm with a magnification of ×5000.
Fig 3.
Scanning electron micrographs depict the morphology of microencapsulated phenolic-rich fraction of Phy-Blica-O powders created through spray drying at inlet temperatures of 140°C (A–C) and 180°C (D–F).
The powders utilize different maltodextrin (MD) to gum Arabic (GA) ratios: (A, D) MD:GA (10:0), (B, E) MD:GA (8:2), and (C, F) MD:GA (6:4). The scale bars indicate 5 µm with a magnification of ×5000.
Table 4.
The antioxidant properties of microencapsulated Phy-Blica-O and its phenolic-rich fraction, produced with varying inlet temperatures and different proportions of wall materials.
Table 5.
The scavenging capacity of Phyllanthus emblica-based functional herbal tea against peroxyl and superoxide anion radicals and its inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation.
Fig 4.
Changes in body weight (panels A and B) and food consumption (panels C and D) in male and female rats exposed to doses of 5, 50, and 300 mg/kg/day during a 90-day repeated oral dose toxicity study of Phy-Blica-D are presented as mean ± SD (n = 5).
* Indicating a significant difference (p < 0.05) among the groups each week, based on one-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s post-hoc comparison tests.
Table 6.
Relative organ weights of male and female rats administered oral doses of 5, 50, and 300 mg/kg/day of Phy-Blica-D extract during a 90-day repeated oral dose toxicity study.
Table 7.
Hematological parameters in male and female rats treated orally with doses of 5, 50, and 300 mg/kg/day of Phy-Blica-D extract during a 90-day repeated oral dose toxicity study.
Fig 5.
Serum biochemical values of male and female rats were measured at the end of a 90-day repeated oral dose toxicity study of Phy-Blica-D extract.
Values are presented as mean ± SD (n = 5). Key parameters include creatinine, ALP (alkaline phosphatase), BUN (blood urea nitrogen), and ALT (alanine aminotransferase). * Indicating a significant difference (p < 0.05) among the groups for each parameter, based on one-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s post-hoc comparison tests.
Fig 6.
Photomicrographs of kidney (A-D), liver (E-H), spleen (I-L), and lung (M-P) sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin from a 90-day repeated oral dose toxicity study of Phy-Blica-D extract are displayed.
Panels A, E, I, and M show normal histology of kidney, liver, spleen, and lung tissue, respectively, in control rats at the end of the study period. Panels B, F, J, and N depict tissue sections from rats treated with 5 mg/kg of Phy-Blica-D extract; C, G, K, and O with 50 mg/kg; and D, H, L, and P with 300 mg/kg.