Mangiferin loaded carrageenan/chitosan core-shell hydrogel beads: Preparation, characterization and proposed application

In this work, an investigation on the use of mangiferin, a bioactive compound, in a controlled release hydrogel system was carried out. Mangiferin isolated from mango leave waste was tested for its antibacterial activities by disc diffusion, agar well and agar dilution methods. The results confirmed effective antibacterial effects against Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio cholerae, the common species found in fresh seafood that can cause acute diarrheal illness. However, application of this polyphenolic natural compound is limited by its poor water solubility resulting in low bioavailability. To overcome is limitation, biopolymeric core-shell hydrogel beads incorporated with mangiferin were fabricated by a one-step gelling method. The core particles loaded with mangiferin were prepared from κ-carrageenan solution which were subsequently ionic-crosslinked and encapsulated with the chitosan shells. The formation of core-shell morphology was verified by light microscope observation and confirmed that the κ-carrageenan core was completely covered with the uniform shell of chitosan. The composition of microsphere beads was also examined with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The core-shell hydrogel was able to encapsulate mangiferin with the optimum loading efficiency of 85%. The release kinetics was evaluated at different temperatures and Korsmeyer-Peppas was the most appropriate model to represent the release profiles of mangiferin from hydrogel beads. Biocompatibility test performed on all of the hydrogel samples exhibited a good viability for the L929 and Vero cells with low cytotoxicity. Investigations on the microsphere hydrogels revealed that they could regulate the release of bioactive mangiferin and possessed promising potential to be utilized for quality protection of fresh seafood.