Encapsulation in biopolymer-based microparticles can be used to protect against external degradation triggers and control the release of fat-soluble vitamin E in the gastrointestinal tract.
To create and evaluate the efficiency of various encapsulation systems, Portuguese scientists tested binary and ternary mixtures of pectin, modified chitosan and modified starch.
The results showed the following:
– The encapsulation efficiency was more than 70 ± 30% for all microparticles
– Modified starch and modified chitosan in general can promote a slower release
– Microparticles individually consisting of pectin promoted a faster release of vitamin E.
In this case, the simplest encapsulation method was chosen – spray drying. The particle size ranged from 4.71 to 421.13 μm, depending on the encapsulating agent.
P.S.: the figure shows photographs of particles taken using an electron microscope.
Source: IJBM