(262e) Formulation of Bovine Serum Albumin Encapsulated Cal-Alginate Microspheres by Electrodispersion for a Simulated Release in a Gastric Fluid

Calcium alginate (Ca-alginate) gels have been widely used for encapsulation of variety of biological active agents, including proteins, peptides and cells due to the relatively mild cross-linking conditions of preparation. However, most research studies report using the common technique, the droplet dripping method without size control (>500µm). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the new application of the electrodispersion technique for the formulation of Ca-alginate microcapsules suitable for biomedical applications, and assess the effect of the production methods on the bioactivity of protein to ensure that the encapsulated protein is able to preserve its stability during the particle processing and recovery.  The model protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used for this study. Furthermore, the release profile of BSA in the stimulated gastrointestinal conditions was investigated. The mean diameter of BSA loaded gel microspheres was measured to be less than 20µm and an encapsulation efficiency of nearly 65% was achieved. BSA from Ca-alginate particulate system demonstrates a biphasic release profile in a simulated GI tract. The secondary structure of BSA was monitored with and without alginate matrix.  A structural integrity of BSA was observed before and after the process. The study shows that the electrodispersion technique is feasible to produce BSA encapsulated Ca-alginate gel microspheres intended for oral administration.