Effect of Drug‐loading Methods on Drug Load, Encapsulation Efficiency and Release Properties of Alginate/Poly‐L‐Arginine/Chitosan Ternary Complex Microcapsules

Abstract Summary: The drug‐loaded alginate/poly‐ L ‐arginine/chitosan ternary complex microcapsules were prepared by mixing method, absorption method and the combined method of mixing and absorption, respectively. The effect of drug‐loading methods on drug load, the encapsulation efficiency and the release properties of the complex microcapsules were investigated. The results showed that the absorption process is a dominating factor to greatly increase the drug load of Hb into microcapsules. Upon loading Hb into microcapsules by combined method of mixing and absorption, the drug load (19.9%) is up to the maximum value, and the encapsulation efficiency is 93.8%. Moreover, the drug release is a zero‐order kinetics process for the ternary complex microcapsules made by mixing. For the complex microcapsules made by absorption, the drug release is a first‐order kinetics. However, for the complex microcapsules made by combining the mixing and the absorption, the drug release obeys a first‐order kinetics during the first eighteen hours, changing afterwards to a zero‐order kinetics process. Effect of drug‐loading methods on drug load and encapsulation efficiency of alginate/poly‐ L ‐arginine/chitosan ternary complex microcapsules. image Effect of drug‐loading methods on drug load and encapsulation efficiency of alginate/poly‐ L ‐arginine/chitosan ternary complex microcapsules.