Potential of alginate, chitosan and polyethylene glycol as substances for colloidal drug delivery as determined by protein release and digestion

Colloidal encapsulations can be applied as protective matrices in aquaculture feeds. They promise an ideal approach to protect bioactive substances such as oral vaccines, pre- or probiotics against degradation due to acidic environments or untimely lixiviation. Alginate, chitosan and polyethylene glycol (PEG) are substances frequently applied in encapsulations as protective matrices. However, essential information on their direct and comparable characteristics and their effects on digestion speeds after oral application in aquaculture are lacking. The current study evaluated in vitro release and retention profiles of a model protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) after encapsulation with four experimental formulations of protective matrices: ALG – alginate; AC –alginate and chitosan, AP - alginate and PEG and APC – alginate, PEG and chitosan. The iron marked treatment diets were fed to juvenile rainbow trout and digestion speed was investigated using radiographic imaging.

Digestion speeds did not differ significantly between treatments, with all test diets reaching the anterior fish intestine 10 h after feeding. The BSA retention under low pH was highest for the alginate-chitosan PM (84.7 ± 5.8 %). The inclusion of PEG reduced the retention rate in low pH but significantly increased the absolute BSA release. An oil coating significantly reduced the BSA release during the initial burst for the alginate, alginate-PEG and alginate-chitosan-PEG treatments and significantly reduced retention potential under neutral pH conditions. The feeding simulation trial showed that an oil-coated diet containing alginate-chitosan as a protective matrix can be used to protect the model protein during feeding (release to the water) and against the harmful milieu of the fish stomach. Different combinations of the investigated encapsulation substances can be used to achieve optimal encapsulation and protective characteristics depending on the application objective.