Encapsulation of a bioactive steroid in apolymer matrix

Abstract

DI-31 is a synthetic analog of brasinosteroids (ABR), the active ingredient (PA) of Biobras, a plantgrowth stimulant, which has shown positive impact on Cuban agriculture, especially in rice cultivation. However, ithas the drawback of having low solubility in water and being rapidly metabolized by the plants. An alternative toovercome these limitations is its micro-encapsulation in a polymer matrix. Chitosan (CHI) has been investigatedas an excellent candidate for microencapsulation of DI-31. Chitosan (CHI) is a natural polysaccharide obtainedfrom chitin extracted from exoesqueleton of crustaceans, which increases resistance of the plants to the attack ofpests and promotes the yield of the crops, also possesses excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability andmucoadhesivity, also inducing the defense of the plants against the attack of different pathogens. # polymer_matrix #chitosan #microparticles #spray_drying #DI-31