Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), mainly composed of β- The straight-chain polysaccharide combined with 1,4-glucoside bond [1] is a white, odorless and tasteless crystalline powder composed of extremely fine short rod-shaped or powder-shaped porous particles that can flow freely and hydrolyze natural cellulose to the limit degree of polymerization (LODP) after dilute acid hydrolysis.
In general plant fibers, microcrystalline cellulose accounts for about 70%, and the other 30% is amorphous. Microcrystalline cellulose is widely used in pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food and other industries. Different particle size and water content have different characteristics and application range.
With its unique structure and properties, microcrystalline cellulose is widely used as a disintegrant and stabilizing emulsifier in the national economic sectors such as medicine and health, food and beverage, light chemical industry, etc. As cellulose is widely distributed in nature, the world can produce hundreds of billions of tons of cellulosic-rich biomass residues every year. If these residues are well converted and utilized, it will be a rich resource. In China, the demand for microcrystalline cellulose is increasing year by year with the expansion of the production scale and the improvement of the product grade of the tanning, daily chemical, pharmaceutical, food and chlor-alkali industries, so microcrystalline cellulose has a broad market prospect. [4] In foreign countries, microcrystalline cellulose has been listed in the FDA Safety Assessment Index for Food Additives (GRAS) of the United States, and is permitted to be used as a food additive in Europe. It is contained in the FDA Guidelines for Inactive Ingredients, and is permitted to be used in non-injection preparations in the United Kingdom. [2]
Pharmaceutical industry
Microcrystalline cellulose is often used as adsorbent, suspension aid, diluent and disintegrant. Microcrystalline cellulose is widely used in pharmaceutical preparations, mainly as a diluent and adhesive in oral tablets and capsules. It can be used not only for wet granulation but also for dry direct tablet pressing. It also has certain lubricating and disintegrating effects, which is very useful in the preparation of tablets.