Preparation and Characterization of Coacervate Microcapsules for the Delivery of Antimicrobial Oyster Peptides

Abstract

Oyster peptides-loaded alginate/chitosan/starch microcapsules were prepared using external gelation method and internal emulsion gelation method. The solution of oyster peptides complexes was encapsulated into the microcapsules, which endowed the microcapsules with intestine passive targeting properties. The swelling behavior, encapsulation efficiency, and release behavior of oyster peptides from the microcapsules at different pH values were investigated. The microcapsules exhibited sustained release of the peptides in intestinal medium, and the release rate could be regulated by the pH value: in simulated gastric fluid, the release rate was greatly decreased, and in simulated body fluid and intestinal fluid, the microcapsules exhibited a sustained release in 24 h with different release rates. The microspheres were characterized by Fourier transform infrared. The results suggested that the alginate/chitosan/starch microcapsules could be a suitable copolymeric carrier system for intestinal protein or peptides delivery in the intestine.

Keywords:

• microcapsule
• oyster peptides
• intestinal targeting
• pH-responsive
• alginate/chitosan/starch

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Shandong University Foundation at Weihai. The authors thank Professor Tianlin Yang from Shandong University of Department of Space Science and Applied Physics for FT-IR equipment facilities.