Preparation and characterization of safe microparticles based on xylan

Abstract

This work describes the preparation and evaluation of safe xylan-based microparticles prepared by cross-linking polymerization using sodium trimetaphosphate. The resulting microparticles were evaluated for morphology, particle size, polymer-cross-link agent interaction, and in vitro toxicity. The microparticles showed narrow monodisperse size distributions with their mean sizes being between 3.5 and 12.5 µm in dried state. FT-IR analyzes confirmed the interaction between sodium trimetaphosphate and xylan during the cross-linking process with formation of phosphate ester bonds. Additionally, the X-ray diffraction patterns and FT-IR analyzes suggested that little or no cross-linking agent remained inside the microparticles. Furthermore, the in-vitro studies using Artemia salina and human erythrocytes revealed that the microparticles are not toxic. Therefore, the overall results suggest that these xylan microparticles can be used as a platform for new drug delivery system.

Keywords:

• Cross-linking reaction
• microencapsulation
• sodium trimetaphosphate
• toxicity assay
• polymeric microparticles

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to PROPESQ-UEPB for financial support, to CETENE for the XRD evaluation and to CTPETRO-INFRA I and FINEP/LIEM UFRN for the SEM analysis. The authors are also grateful to Professor Francisco Jaime Bezerra Mendonça Júnior for the FT-IR analyses.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The authors are grateful to PROPESQ-UEPB for financial support, to CETENE for the XRD evaluation and to CTPETRO-INFRA I and FINEP/LIEM UFRN for the SEM analysis.