title: Production of alginate microspheres by internal gelation using an emulsification method.
abstract: Alginate is a natural polysaccharide found in brown algae. Alginates are widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries and have been employed as a matrix for the entrapment of drugs, macromolecules and biological cells. Alginate microspheres can be produced by the external or internal gelation method using calcium salts. The addition of calcium chloride solution in the final phase of production of microspheres by external gelation method using an emulsification technique causes the disruption of the equilibrium of the system being stirred, resulting in a significant degree of clumping of microspheres. Therefore, in this study, production of alginate microspheres by the internal gelation method using a modified emulsification technique was explored. The influence of calcium salt, added in varying amounts and at different stages, on the morphology of the microspheres was investigated. The effects of other hardening agents and different drying methods were also studied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive, S117543, Singapore, Singapore. phaclw@nus.edu.sg
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Heng
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry*; D002119:Calcium Carbonate; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D004339:Drug Compounding / Q000379:methods*; D004655:Emulsions; D005079:Excipients; D005612:Freeze Drying; D005782:Gels; D005976:Glutaral; D008863:Microspheres
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D004655:Emulsions; D005079:Excipients; D005782:Gels; D002119:Calcium Carbonate; D005976:Glutaral