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. 2019 Summer;18(3):1180-1195.
doi: 10.22037/ijpr.2019.1100776.

Chitosan-Coated Alginate Microcapsules Loaded with Herbal galactagogue Extract: Formulation Optimization and Characterization

Nasim Khorshidian  1   2 , Arash Mahboubi  3   4 , Naser Kalantari  5 , Hedayat Hosseini  6 , Mojtaba Yousefi  2 , Masoumeh Arab  6 , Adriano Gomez da Cruz  7 , Amir Mohammad Mortazavian  4 , Fatemeh Sadat Mahdavi  8
Affiliations

Chitosan-Coated Alginate Microcapsules Loaded with Herbal galactagogue Extract: Formulation Optimization and Characterization

Nasim Khorshidian et al. Iran J Pharm Res. 2019 Summer.

Abstract

Many herbs and spices have been recommended traditionally as galactagogues and several commercial formulations prepared using herbs. Due to the presence of various compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids, isoflavones, and terpenes, bitter and stringent taste is elicited that make the consumption of these herbal preparations unpleasant. Moreover, these compounds are unstable when exposed to environmental conditions. In this regard, different approaches are used for taste masking such as microencapsulation. In the present study, microcapsules containing herbal galactagogue extract were developed through emulsification/external gelation and Box-Behnken design was used to investigate the effects of independent variables (sodium alginate: 1-1.5%, calcium chloride: 0.2-1% and extract concentrations: 1-5%) on encapsulation efficiency (EE%). Following evaluation of the model, the optimum condition of encapsulation process was selected as 1.49% sodium alginate, 0.84 CaCl2, and 1.58% extract with EE% of 77.97%. Microcapsules had an acceptable spherical morphology and the results of Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed the presence of the extract within the microcapsules. The mean diameters of the uncoated and chitosan-coated microcapsules were 52 and 123 μm and encapsulation yield was 50.21 and 69.7%, respectively. The polydispersity index of 0.45 and 0.48 were an indicative of polydisperse nature of the microcapsules. The loss of flavonoids in microcapsules stored at two different temperatures was insignificant. The in-vitro release in simulated gastric fluid (SGF; pH 1.2) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF; pH 7.4) were 48.1% and 80.11%, respectively during 24 h. The prepared extract-loaded microcapsules have potential to be used in matrices with neutral pH.

Keywords: Chitosan; External gelation; Galactagogues; Herbal extract; Microencapsulation; Sodium alginate.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Effect of sodium alginate (a), extract (b) and CaCl2 (c) concentration on encapsulation efficiency
Figure 2
Figure 2
3D surface plots for EE% with respect to sodium alginate and extract (a), CaCl2 and sodium alginate (b) and extract and CaCl2 (c)
Figure 3
Figure 3
SEM images of chitosan-coated microcapsules loaded with extract; 80× (a) and b) 200× (b)
Figure 4
Figure 4
Size distribution by number for uncoated alginate microcapsules loaded with extract (a) and chitosan-coated alginate microcapsules loaded with extract (b)
Figure 5
Figure 5
FTIR spectra of herbal galactagogue extract (a), chitosan (b), sodium alginate (c), chitosan-coated alginate microcapsules containing extract (d) and blank chitosan-coated alginate microcapsules (e)
Figure 6
Figure 6
Total flavonoid loss (%) in chitosan-coated microcapsules stored at 4 °C and 25 °C during storage
Figure 7
Figure 7
In-vitro cumulative release of herbal galactagogue extract from microcapsules in SGF and SIF
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