Applications of ultrasonic homogenization in the pharmaceutical industry

In the pharmaceutical industry's transformation towards green and precision manufacturing, ultrasonic homogenization technology, with its unique physical effects, has overcome many bottlenecks in traditional processes, becoming a key technological means in drug research and production. This technology uses high-frequency ultrasound to induce cavitation, mechanical shearing, and turbulent disturbances, creating a localized high-temperature, high-pressure microenvironment in a liquid medium. This achieves material refinement, dispersion, emulsification, and cell disruption, possessing the core advantages of high efficiency, gentleness, and controllability.

Core Application Scenarios

I. Extraction and Separation of Active Ingredients

In the production of herbal and biopharmaceutical drugs, ultrasonic homogenization technology significantly optimizes the extraction efficiency of active ingredients. Addressing the problems of time-consuming and high component loss associated with traditional boiling and alcohol precipitation methods, ultrasound can rapidly disrupt plant cell walls or microbial cell membranes through cavitation, accelerating solvent penetration and component release. Extraction time is reduced to less than one-third of traditional processes, and the yield of active ingredients is increased by more than 30%. Whether extracting polysaccharides from Ganoderma lucidum spores or separating recombinant proteins from E. coli, this technology preserves component activity under gentle conditions, avoiding contamination from added chemical reagents and laying the foundation for subsequent purification processes.

II. Preparation of Novel Drug Formulations

In the development of novel formulations such as nano-formulations, liposomes, and nasal sprays, ultrasonic homogenization is a core tool for achieving precise formulation. By breaking up particle agglomerates through strong shear force, uniform particle size and high stability nano-dispersion systems can be prepared, significantly improving the dissolution rate and bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. For example, in the production of nasal spray formulations for COVID-19 prevention, ultrasonic emulsification technology can construct micro- and nano-scale dispersed phases, enhance drug adsorption capacity and retention time on mucous membranes, and improve antibacterial effects; in anticancer drug formulations, it can control drug particle size to below the micrometer level, helping drugs penetrate tumor tissue and improve treatment precision.

III. Key Aspects of Vaccine Production

Ultrasonic homogenization plays a crucial role in the entire vaccine preparation process. In the antigen extraction stage, it gently breaks down viral or bacterial cells, efficiently releasing intracellular substances such as proteins and antigens while maximizing antigen activity. In the formulation stage, it achieves uniform dispersion of aluminum-based adjuvants and antigens, preventing aggregation that could affect immunization efficacy. Simultaneously, it can be used for pathogen inactivation, emulsification, and degassing in vaccine production, ensuring vaccine uniformity and safety and providing stable support for large-scale production.

IV. Aseptic Sieving and Impurity Removal

In the pharmaceutical micronized powder sieving process, ultrasonic homogenization technology effectively solves the problem of mesh clogging. By using a high-frequency ultrasonic transducer to resonate with the screen mesh to form a standing wave field, the micronized powder undergoes a jumping motion. For easily adherent materials such as vitamin C and  the sieving throughput stability can be maintained above 98%, with a 75% reduction in residue. Compared to traditional airflow sieving, it reduces energy consumption by 65%, is suitable for fine sieving scenarios of 325 mesh and above, and can strictly ensure the purity and batch consistency of the formulation, meeting the quality control requirements of the pharmaceutical industry.