Microfluidic synthesis of alginate co-polymeric microgels for enhanced protein delivery applications

Abstract

Alginate-based microcapsules are promising carriers for drugs and biomedical agents due to their biodegradability, biocompatible character, and easy availability. Through microfluidic technology, we've achieved highly uniform alginate microencapsulation, exhibiting remarkable monodispersity. Despite alginate's favorable attributes, such as biocompatibility, its limited stability and mechanical properties pose challenges for drug delivery applications. Our research addresses this limitation by introducing a cross-linked alginate/kappa-carrageenan (Alg/κ-Car) co-polymer, enabling the fabrication of microgels through microfluidic devices. Our study demonstrates significant enhancements in Alg microgel properties with the incorporation of κ-Car. Comparative analyses of Alg/κ-Car and Alg microgels revealed substantial improvements in morphology, gel network, and stability attributed to the κ-Car addition. Notably, loading BSA as a model protein showcased enhanced drug carrier capabilities of the microgel when κ-Car was present. The release half-life of BSA within 1.5 wt.% Alg microgel was approximately 1.5 h, which extended to about 3 h when substituting 0.5 wt.% of Alg with κ-Car. This shift signifies a more controlled BSA release.

Graphical abstract