RESUMO
Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is a very important product in pharmaceutic, food, cosmetic and other industries. In this work, MCC was prepared from soybean husk, produced in large quantities in soybean oil processing industries. It was characterized through various techniques (scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)) and compared with a commercial MCC. The results obtained show that the prepared sample has similar crystallinity and lower particle size than the commercial MCC. Both MCC samples were treated with organic solvents (chloroform, acetone, ethanol and ethyl ether), for structural modifications to be introduced, and used as acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) carrier. Pretreated MCC and MCC/ASA 1:1 mixtures were analyzed through FTIR and thermal analysis. The drug release was evaluated in buffer solution of pH 4.5 and in pure water, at 37 degrees C. The MCC pretreated with different solvents show different thermal properties and ASA release rates, each MCC showing a particular behavior.