You will come across several drying methods like spray drying, vacuum drying, boiling and the ordinary drying methods. Unfortunately, these methods usually change the size and texture of the food due to loss of volatile components and denaturing or deactivation of heat-sensitive substances. Naturally, the final products may have entirely different properties compared to the state before drying. That’s when you remember the laboratory freeze dryer, which is used for drying different food items.
Why freeze drying is more effective than ordinary drying?
Compared to the conventional drying process that helps preserve food longer, the freeze drying method is more reliable. The latter does not cause physical or chemical changes or alterations in texture or taste unlike the traditional drying process. Moreover, it prolongs the shelf-life of food and helps retain its organoleptic qualities and nutrients.
So, that is freeze drying or lyophilisation process for you in which water is removed from the food product by freeing, which then undergoes sublimation under vacuum. It is a common process by which the biological activity and physical structure of food is retained like in antibodies, vaccines, and proteins.
Reasons to use freeze dryer in laboratories
Why is a laboratory freeze dryer popular for pharmaceutical applications? Some of the most prominent benefits of freeze drying techniques include the following:
- Enhances shelf life
Freeze drying helps enhance the shelf life of various pharmaceutical products. Once the products are freeze-dried, they can be stored in room temperature for several years. Moreover, the potency and stability of the products remain intact. Undoubtedly, the technique is ideal for those products that are usually sensitive to temperature and more so when they need to be carried to distant locations.
- Improve the quality of products
Freeze drying is especially popular in laboratories as it helps improve the quality of pharmaceutical products through moisture removal. Naturally, the products become less prone to spoilage. Furthermore, freeze-dried products are easily soluble and can be refurbished quickly compared to frozen and liquid products.
- Retains biological activities
Freeze drying is not a harsh process and hence the products retain their biological activities compared pharmaceutical products that are highly sensitive. The sublimation and freezing process that the products undergo does not damage the structure of the product. That is why it is considered an ideal process for preserving proteins, antibodies, and vaccine that often degrade under heat and stress conditions.
Uses of freeze drying
Laboratory freeze dryers are used for a wide range of pharmaceutical applications:
- Drug testing
Freeze drying technology is extensively used during clinical trials to produce drugs that are to be used on humans. They are usually more stable and easy to use compared to frozen and liquid drugs. During clinical trials when several doses of one drug need to be administered on people, freeze-dried medicines can be safely used on humans.
- Research and development
A lab freeze dryer is of immense use in pharmaceutical R&D during the development of new medicines and formulations. It is use for the production of drugs in smaller batches that were previously used for clinical trials.
How freeze drying works?
Freeze drying or lypholisation are similar and involves sublimation in which water is removed y freezing the material and allowing the frozen object to transform into gaseous state. Most of the times, the materials undergoing freeze drying stay at a frozen state without incurring any changes in its properties or appearance. You just need to add water to reconstitute the product. Here are the three stages of freeze drying:
- The freezing stage in which the materials undergoing the process are completely frozen.
- During the initial state of drying, water is physically removed from the material and it takes some time
- In the secondary stage of drying, removal of bound water takes place through ultra vacuum in high temperature
Freeze drying is an expensive technology and it is not just about the equipment but a trouble-free operation that matters the most. When buying the device, you need to check the specifications and features of laboratory freeze dryers to ensure higher productivity. At IGene Labserve, we manufacture lab-grade freeze dryers for guaranteed preservation of pharmaceutical products. Click here https://www.igenels.com/ to explore our products and order yours today.