Microencapsulation of capsaicin by the complex coacervation of gelatin,acacia and tannins

With gelatin and acacia as walls and capsaicin as the core substance, microcapsules were prepared through the mixing of two solutions of oppositely charged polymers and were then treated with tannins. The processing factors included the stirring rate and the types and dosages of the surfactants used in the preparation of the microcapsules. The morphology and size distribution of the microcapsules were analyzed with optical microscopy, environmental scanning electron microscopy, and laser particle size analysis. The microcapsules had a mean diameter of 20–30 μm, a maximal drug loading content of 19.84%, and an encapsulation efficiency of 88.21% with a good dispersion, even distribution, and round shape. The influence of the tannins on the morphology and structures of the microcapsules was also investigated, and their interaction mechanism was examined. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 2669–2675, 2004     

A novel method for the preparation of core‐shell nanoparticles and hollow polymer nanospheres

A one‐step method to prepare core‐shell nanoparticles and thus hollow nanospheres is reported. The process for the formation of core and shell took place during reaction. Once the core formed, it was covered with the shell substance produced in situ, and thus, the shell hindered the continued growth of the core. Based on this method, we readily obtained core‐shell nanoparticles by choosing AgCl, CuS, or Fe(III) diethyldithiocarbamate (FeDEC)₃ as model core substances and the cogel from gelatin and gum arabic as the shell substance. High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) directly revealed the core‐shell structure. TEM results showed the average particle sizes were under 100 nm, depending on the core substance and the concentration of substances producing cores. After removal of the core materials, hollow nanospheres resulted, which were directly observed by TEM. The observation further verified the core‐shell structure. UV spectrophotometry also gave signals of coated structure and revealed high core content (51.1%) and nearly perfect coating (91.6%). © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 2594–2600, 2004     

Toughening of polycarbonate: Effect of particle size and rubber phase contents of the core‐shell impact modifier

The toughening behavior of polycarbonate modified with core‐shell type particles was investigated. The alloys were found to exhibit maximum impact strength upon addition of a modifier with a poly(butyl acrylate) rubbery core of 0.25 μm diameter. The incorporation of particles with diameter greater than 0.25 μm resulted in decreased impact strength. The influence of rubber phase contents on toughness was also studied. It was observed that the alloys exhibited maximum impact strength upon addition of 4 wt % rubber phase. Further increase in the rubber phase content resulted in reduced impact strength. Fractography of the samples showed that, below 4 wt % rubber phase content, the fracture occurs mainly by internal crazing and, from 4 wt % onward, only by shear deformation. When the effect of dual particle size distribution was analyzed, it was found that there was only a moderate increase in toughness compared with alloys containing monosized particles. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 95: 748–755, 2005     

Effect of preparation method and characteristics of chitosan on the mechanical and release properties of the prepared capsule

The objective of this study is to elucidate the effect of preparation method and the characteristics of chitosan used on the mechanical and release properties of the prepared capsule. The characteristics of the chitosan explored include molecular weight (1.8, 5.6, 20.2, and 31.8 × 10⁵ Dalton) and chain flexibility parameter (B), which was manipulated by a varying degree of deacetylation (DD, 67.9, 81.3, 90.5, and 92.2%), and sodium chloride concentration (0 or 0.3%). The orifice method was used to encapsulate hemoglobin, whereas complex coacervation was used to encapsulate the bovine serum albumin (BSA). The axial ratio was measured to characterize the appearance of the capsule. Break strength was used as an index of mechanical strength. Release percent of protein was used as a pore size indicator. The results show axial ratio and hemoglobin release percent of the capsule prepared by the orifice method increased with the increase of the chain flexibility parameter (B), but decreased with the increase of the chitosan molecular weight. However, break force behaved just opposite from that of the axial ratio and release percent of hemoglobin. The capsule cannot be prepared from 92.2% DD chitosan. Break strength and BSA release percent of the capsule prepared by complex coacervation did not vary with different DD, molecular weight of chitosan, and sodium chloride concentration. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 66: 161–169, 1997     

Characterization and preparation of polyion complex composite membranes for the separation of methyl tert‐butyl ether/methanol mixtures

A series of polyion complex (PIC) composite membranes composed of sodium alginate (SA) polyanion and chitosan polycation were prepared by varying the ratio of concentration. The interaction between SA and chitosan was investigated by FTIR, SEM, and X‐ray analysis and was related to mechanical properties and the swelling phenomenon. The overall PIC composite membranes showed the following results: the total thickness of the coating layer was thicker than that of pure SA composite, and increased with increasing the concentration of chitosan solution during PIC formation. This result was attributed to the diffusion of chitosan molecules from the liquid solution into the SA matrix, and the incorporation with SA molecules. For the PIC membranes prepared with different concentrations of polymer solution, their structural differences could not be detected from IR spectra but their morphological differences could be noticeably found from SEM. Furthermore, the amorphousness of PIC membranes and their elongation properties at break increased significantly as a function of polymer contents, whereas the tensile modulus decreased because of the physical transition effect. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 714–725, 2002     

Preparation and properties of microcapsule with EVA core‐PU shell structure

Microcapsule with poly(ethylene‐co‐vinylacetate) (EVA) core‐polyurethane (PU) shell structure was synthesized by interfacial polymerization in aqueous polyol dispersion with ethylene diamine as the chain extender of toluene diisocyanate in poly(vinyl alcohol) aqueous solution as the stabilizing agent. The effects of polyol constituent on the average particle size and distributions, morphologies, color strength, and friction fastness of core‐shell particles were investigated to design microcapsule. The friction fastness of printed fabrics with EVA core‐PU shell microcapsules became the increase to 4–5 grades. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 893–902, 2007     

Preparation of monodispersed hollow polymer particles by seeded emulsion polymerization under low emulsifier conditions

In a low emulsifier system, the MMA‐BA‐MAA copolymer emulsions were prepared as seed latices and the seeded emulsion polymerization of MMA‐MAA‐DVB was consequently carried out to prepare carboxylated core particles. The hydrophobic shell was then synthesized onto the core using styrene, acrylonitrile, and divinylbenzene as comonomers. The hollow latex particles were obtained by alkalization treatment of the core‐shell latex particles. The effects of the feeding rate of monomer mixture, contents of emulsifier SDBS and crosslinking agent DVB, and ratio of the monomers during the core stage and shell stage on the morphology and volume expansion of the latex particles were investigated. The results show that the monodispersed hollow latex particles with large size can be obtained when the feeding rate is 0.1 g/min, SDBS content is 0.15 and 0.2 wt % during the core stage and shell stage, respectively, DVB contents are 1% during the preparation of shell copolymers, and the monomer ratio of the core particle to shell layer is 1 : 8. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 1505–1510, 2005     

超细聚苯乙烯(PS)树脂的制备工艺研究

采用O/W型苯乙烯微乳液体系,研究了乳化剂OP-10、助乳化剂DBS、交联剂DVB等对聚苯乙烯(PS)粒径分布的影响,基于正交试验,找出了量佳微乳液体系配方。采用激光粒度仪与透射电镜(TEM)对纳米PS粒子的粒径进行了测量研究,结果表明:交联PS粒子单分散性好,大小较均匀。     

Chitosan–polyelectrolyte complexation for the preparation of gel beads and controlled release of anticancer drug. II. Effect of pH‐dependent ionic crosslinking or interpolymer complex using tripolyphosphate or polyphosphate as reagent

Chitosangel beads were prepared using an in‐liquid curing method by ionotropic crosslinking or interpolymer linkage with tripolyphosphate (TPP) or polyphosphate (PP). The ionic interaction of chitosan with TPP or PP is pH‐dependent due to the transition of “ladder‐loop” complex structures. Chitosan gel beads cured in a pH value lower than 6 of a TPP solution was a controlled homogeneous ionic‐crosslinking reaction, whereas chitosan gel beads cured in a lower pH PP solution was a nonhomogeneous interpolymer complex reaction due to the mass‐transfer resistance for the diffusion of macromolecular PP. According to the results of FTIR and EDS studies, it was suggested that significantly increasing the ionic‐crosslinking density or interpolymer linkage of a chitosan–TPP or chitosan–PP complex could be achieved by transferring the pH value of curing agent, TPP or PP, from basic to acidic. The swelling behavior of various chitosan beads in acid medium appeared to depend on the ionic‐crosslinking density or interpolymer linkage of the chitosan–TPP or chitosan–PP complex, which were deeply affected by the in‐liquid curing mechanism of the chitosan gel beads. By the transition of the in‐liquid curing mechanism, the swelling degree of chitosan–TPP or chitosan–PP beads was depressed and the disintegration of chitosan–TPP or chitosan–PP beads did not occur in strong acid. The drug‐release patterns of the modified chitosan gel beads in simulated intestinal and gastric juices were sustained for 20 h. These results indicate that the sustained release of anticancer drugs could be achieved due to the variation of the reaction mechanism of a chitosan–polyelectrolyte pH‐dependent ionic interaction. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 1093–1107, 1999     

海藻酸盐/壳聚糖复合微球的制备及其控制释放作用

采用喷雾干燥法将活性成分包载到海藻酸钠微凝胶中,再经钙离子和壳聚糖交联得到复合微球。以维生素B₂为模型药物探讨了微球的控制释放效果和机理。扫描电镜分析表明海藻酸钠微凝胶经复合交联后形成了团聚体结构。与单一钙离子交联的海藻酸盐微球相比,复合微球对维生素B₂释放更慢,半数释放时间(t₅₀)延长约6倍,且交联时间越长、交联剂用量越高,维生素B₂释放越慢。当载药量介于16.0%～35.6%时,维生素B₂释放时间达24 h以上,释放过程主要受费克扩散控制。     

锂渣掺量对水泥-减水剂浆体流变特性和混凝土性能的影响

本文研究了锂渣掺量对水泥-减水剂浆体流变特性、新拌混凝土工作性及硬化混凝土强度的影响。从紧密堆积理论和固体颗粒体积分数角度解释了锂渣掺量对水泥-减水剂浆体流变性能的影响。结果表明：锂渣水化初始的屈服应力和塑性黏度均随锂渣掺量的增加而增大,流变性能劣化。新拌混凝土的工作性与锂渣掺量呈负相关;随锂渣掺量的增加,7 d抗压强度不断降低,28 d抗压强度呈现出先增后降的趋势。     

Alginate Beads Containing Cerium-Doped Mesoporous Glass and Curcumin: Delivery and Stabilization of Therapeutics

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, its genesis and progression are caused by homeostatic errors, and reactive oxygen species play a major role in promoting aberrant cancer homeostasis. In this scenario, curcumin could be an interesting candidate due to its versatile antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-HIV, and anti-infection properties. Nonetheless, the major problem related to its use is its poor oral bioavailability, which can be overcome by encapsulating it into small particles, such as hydrogel beads containing mesoporous silica. In this work, various systems have been synthesized: starting from mesoporous silica glasses (MGs), cerium-containing MGs have been produced; then, these systems have been loaded with 4 to 6% of curcumin. Finally, various MGs at different compositions have been included in alginate beads. In vitro studies showed that these hybrid materials enable the stabilization and effective delivery of curcumin and that a synergic effect can be achieved if Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ and curcumin are both part of the beads. From swelling tests, it is possible to confirm a controlled curcumin release compartmentalized into the gastrointestinal tract. For all beads obtained, a curcumin release sufficient to achieve the antioxidant threshold has been reached, and a synergic effect of cerium and curcumin is observed. Moreover, from catalase mimetic activity tests, we confirm the well-known catalytic activity of the couple Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺. In addition, an extremely good radical scavenging effect of curcumin has been demonstrated. In conclusion, these systems, able to promote an enzymatic-like activity, can be used as drug delivery systems for curcumin-targeted dosing.     

Ionotropic gelation method in the synthesis of nanoparticles/microparticles for biomedical purposes

The encapsulation of drugs inside polymeric nanoparticles/microparticles is a strategy currently employed in the search for new and more effective therapies. The use of biocompatible and biodegradable polymers gives several advantages to these formulations. Protection of the active principals against the action of environmental and physiological agents, the reduced number of doses and a subsequent decrease in drug‐related adverse effects, and increased bioavailability are some of these advantages. Several methods and materials are now used to synthesize nanoparticles/microparticles for biomedical applications, from carbon‐derived structures to metallic and lipid particles. However, among the methods using polymers, ionotropic gelation is one of the more affordable and easier procedures to perform in daily laboratory work. In this mini‐review, we address relevant characteristics of ionotropic gelation, beginning with basic aspects of the technique, which reagents and conditions are commonly used, the factors affecting the stability of the formulation, the advantages and disadvantages of the method and some principal characterization techniques for the nanoparticulate/microparticulate formulation. Finally, we conclude with a few important considerations. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry     

Chitosan–Polyelectrolyte complexation for the preparation of gel beads and controlled release of anticancer drug. I. Effect of phosphorous polyelectrolyte complex and enzymatic hydrolysis of polymer

Enzymic hydrolyzed chitosan was employed to prepare chitosan–tripolyphosphate and chitosan–polyphosphoric acid gel beads using a polyelectrolyte complexation method for the sustained‐release of anticancer agent, 6‐mercaptopurine (6‐MP). pH responsive swelling ability, drug‐release characteristics, and morphology of the chitosan gel bead depends on polyelectrolyte complexation mechanism and molecular weight of the enzymic hydrolyzed chitosan. The complexation mechanism of chitosan beads gelled in pentasodium tripolyphosphate or polyphosphoric acid solution was ionotropic crosslinking or interpolymer complex, respectively. The drug‐release patterns of all chitosan gel beads in pH 6.8 seemed to be diffusional based, which might be in accordance with the Higuchi model, whereas release profiles of the chitosan–tripolyphosphate gel beads in pH 1.2 medium seemed to be non‐Fickian diffusion controlled due to the swelling or matrix erosion of the beads. The rate of 6‐MP releasing from chitosan–tripolyphosphate or chitosan–polyphosphoric acid gel matrix were significantly increased with the decreased molecular weight of enzymic hydrolyzed chitosan. However, the dissolution rates of 6‐MP entraped in chitosan–tripolyphosphate and chitosan–polyphosphoric acid gel matrix were significantly slower than the dissolution rate of the original drug. These results indicate that the chitosan–polyphosphoric acid gel bead is a better polymer carrier for the sustained release of anticancer drugs in simulated intestinal and gastric juice medium than the chitosan–tripolyphosphate gel beads. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 1868–1879, 1999     

Preparation,characterization and release profiles of pH‐sensitive chitosan beads

Spherical crosslinked beads using chitosan, glycine and glutaraldehyde were prepared for controlled release formulations. Structural investigation of the beads was made with IR analysis. Morphological study of the beads was carried out by scanning electron microscopy. The swelling behaviour of the beads was monitored as a function of time in solutions of different pH. The release experiments were performed using thiamine hydrochloride (Thi‐HCl) as a model drug. These preliminary results suggest the possibility of modifying the formulations to obtain the desired controlled release of drug in an oral sustained delivery system. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis of amphiphilic hyperbranched polyglycerol polymers and their application as template for size control of gold nanoparticles

Amphiphilic thioether‐containing core‐shell polymers were synthesized by two‐step reaction of hyperbranched polyglycerol (PG): first the hydroxyls of PG were O‐alkylated with 1‐bromo‐3‐chloropropane by improved Williamson reaction, and 31.6% of the hydroxyls were transformed to allyl groups and 22.4% of hydroxyls to 3‐chloropropyl; then the residual 3‐chloropropyl groups were efficiently S‐alkylated with 1‐dodecanethiol. Thus the amphiphilic polymers composed of hydrophobic thioether‐containing shell and hydrophilic PG core were formed and could be used as template for the synthesis of zero‐valent gold nanoparticles by the coordination interaction between gold species and thioether. The resulting colloids were stable and the size of the encapsulated gold nanoparticles could be adjusted by changing the molecular weight/size of the PG core of the amphiphilic derivatives. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 509–514, 2006     

The influence of preparation conditions on the characteristics of chitosan‐alginate dressings for skin lesions

In this work, the preparation and characterization of membranes obtained through chitosan and alginate coacervation and designed for use as wound dressings were evaluated. The influence of different stirring rates and rates of addition of chitosan solution to alginate solution on the final characteristics of the biomaterial was analyzed in detail, aiming at a simple and easily scalable membrane production protocol. The results show that membranes with dry thickness from 66 to 80 μm, wet thickness from 106 to 633 μm, tensile strength varying from 6.86 to 31.14 MPa, elongation at break from 3.97 to 8.42%, and maximum water uptake up to 19 g of water per gram of membrane and that are able to prevent the permeation of bacteria can be obtained in a fairly reproducible way by the procedure established. The membranes prepared at flow ratio of 40 mL/h and stirring equal to 100 rpm showed a high potential for use on highly exuding wounds. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Expanded Core/Shell Poly(vinyl acetate)/Poly(vinyl alcohol) Particles for Embolization

An improvement to a previously published suspension polymerization process for the production of spherical core/shell PVAc/PVA particles is described. To increase the settling time of the beads in the suspension, an expansion stage was introduced. The core/shell structure was obtained through the partial hydrolysis of the PVAc. The particle density was manipulated through addition of a solvent during the suspension polymerization stage and posterior expansion of the polymer beads obtained at the end of the process. This technique allows for effective reduction of the density of the final polymer beads. The expansion stage exerts also a beneficial effect on particle drying, avoiding particle aggregation during post‐polymerization processing of the polymer beads.

     

Preparation and release behavior of carboxymethylated chitosan/alginate microspheres encapsulating bovine serum albumin

Microspheres were prepared from carboxymethylated chitosan (CM‐chitosan) and alginate by emulsion phase separation. Their structure and morphology were characterized with IR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was encapsulated in the microspheres to test the release behavior. The swelling behavior, encapsulation efficiency, and release behavior of BSA from the microspheres at different pHs and with a pH‐gradient condition were investigated. The BSA encapsulation efficiency was calculated to be 80%. The degree of swelling of the microspheres without BSA loaded at pH 7.2 was much higher than that at pH 1.0. The encapsulated BSA was quickly released in a Tris–HCl buffer (pH 7.2), whereas a small amount of BSA was released under acid conditions (pH 1.0) because of the strong electrostatic interaction between ? NH₂ groups of CM‐chitosan and ? COOH groups of alginic acid and a dense structure caused by a Ca²⁺ crosslinked bridge. For the simulation of the processing of the drug under the conditions of the intestine, the microspheres were tested in a pH‐gradient medium, in which an acceleration of the release occurred at pH 7.4 after a lag time at a low pH (5.8–6.8). At pH 7.4, a large amount of BSA was released from the microspheres in a short time because of the rapid swelling of the microspheres. However, the release only depended on the diffusion of BSA at relatively low pHs, this resulted in a relatively low release. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 878–882, 2004