载细胞海藻酸钠/壳聚糖微胶囊的化学破囊方法研究

以海藻酸钠-壳聚糖-海藻酸钠微胶囊(简称ACA微胶囊)为研究体系,建立了一种生理条件下ACA微胶囊的化学破囊方法,破囊过程充分考虑了对囊内生物物质活性的保持.以微生物细胞PichiapastorisGS115和动物细胞L929为模型,以NaHCO₃和Na₃C₆H5O₇·2H₂O为破囊液基本组分,考察了破囊液对ACA微胶囊的破囊效果及破囊过程对囊内细胞活性的影响.结果表明,破囊操作可在30s内完成,破囊率为100%,微胶囊膜完全溶解,破囊后细胞存活率在85%以上.     

Core‐shell structure microcapsules with dual pH‐responsive drug release function

We report dual pH‐responsive microcapsules manufactured by combining electrostatic droplets (ESD) and microfluidic droplets (MFD) techniques to produce monodisperse core (alginate)‐shell (chitosan) structure with dual pH‐responsive drug release function. The fabricated core‐shell microcapsules were size controllable by tuning the synthesis parameters of the ESD and MFD systems, and were responsive in both acidic and alkaline environment, We used two model drugs (ampicillin loaded in the chitosan shell and diclofenac loaded in the alginate core) for drug delivery study. The results show that core‐shell structure microcapsules have better drug release efficiency than respective core or shell particles. A biocompatibility test showed that the core‐shell structure microcapsules presented positive cell viability (above 80%) when evaluated by the 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The results indicate that the synthesized core‐shell microcapsules were a potential candidate of dual‐drug carriers.     

Microgel-based engineered nanostructures and their applicability with template-directed layer-by-layer polyelectrolyte assembly in protein encapsulation

A novel strategy for the fabrication of microcapsules is elaborated by employing biomacromolecules and a dissolvable template. Calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)) microparticles were used as sacrificial templates for the two-step deposition of polyelectrolyte coatings by surface controlled precipitation (SCP) followed by the layer-by-layer (LbL) adsorption technique to form capsule shells. When sodium alginate was used for inner shell assembly, template decomposition with an acid resulted in simultaneous formation of microgel-like structures due to calcium ion-induced gelation. An extraction of the calcium after further LbL treatment resulted in microcapsules filled with the biopolymer. The hollow as well as the polymer-filled polyelectrolyte capsules were characterized using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and scanning force microscopy (SFM). The results demonstrated multiple functionalities of the CaCO(3) core - as supporting template, porous core for increased polymer accommodation/immobilization, and as a source of shell-hardening material. The LbL treatment of the core-inner shell assembly resulted in further surface stabilization of the capsule wall and supplementation of a nanostructured diffusion barrier for encapsulated material. The polymer forming the inner shell governs the chemistry of the capsule interior and could be engineered to obtain a matrix for protein/drug encapsulation or immobilization. The outer shell could be used to precisely tune the properties of the capsule wall and exterior. [Diagram: see text] Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) image of microcapsules (insert is after treating with rhodamine 6G to stain the capsule wall).     

Effects of ammonium chloride and heat treatment on residual formaldehyde contents of melamine-formaldehyde microcapsules

Microencapsulated n-octadecane with melamine–formaldehyde resin (MF) shell was synthesized by in situ polymerization. Ammonium chloride was used to reduce the residual formaldehyde content of microencapsulated phase change materials (microPCMs) caused by the inherent characteristics of MF. Moreover, microPCMs were heat-treated at 160 °C for 30 min. The surface morphology of the microPCMs fabricated at various microencapsulation periods was examined, and the shell thickness was measured. The effects of heat treatment on the surface morphology, residual formaldehyde content, phase change properties, and thermal stability of the microcapsules were systematically investigated. The globular surface of microcapsules fabricated at microencapsulation period of 120 min was smooth and compact with an average diameter about 2.2 μm, and the shell thickness was ranged from 30 to 70 nm. The thermal stability of heat-treated microcapsules enhanced significantly as microencapsulation period increased; in addition, the residual formaldehyde content of microcapsules decreased from 125 ± 1 mg/kg to 19 ± 1 mg/kg.     

New Polyurethane/Docosane Microcapsules as Phase‐Change Materials for Thermal Energy Storage

Polyurethane microcapsules were prepared by mini‐emulsion interfacial polymerization for encapsulation of phase‐change material (n‐docosane) for energy storage. Three steps were followed with the aim to optimize synthesis conditions of the microcapsules. First, polyurethane microcapsules based on silicone oil core as an inert template with different silicone oil/poly(ethylene glycol)/4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate wt % ratio were synthesized. The surface morphology of the capsules was analyzed by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and the chemical nature of the shell was monitored by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR). Capsules with the silicone oil/poly(ethylene glycol)/4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate 10/20/20 wt % ratio showed the best morphological features and shell stability with average particle size about 4 μm, and were selected for the microencapsulation of the n‐docosane. In the second stage, half of the composition of silicone oil was replaced with n‐docosane and, finally, the whole silicone oil content was replaced with docosane following the same synthetic procedure used for silicone oil containing capsules. Thermal and cycling stability of the capsules were investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and the phase‐change behavior was evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).     

Microfluidic fabrication of polysiloxane/dimethyl methylphosphonate flame‐retardant microcapsule and its application in silicone foams

A novel and versatile route for fabricating flame‐retardant microcapsules via microfluidics technology is reported. The flame‐retardant microcapsules were prepared with a dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) core and an ultraviolet‐curable (UV‐curable) polysiloxane shell. Furthermore, a UV‐curable polysiloxane was synthesized. The synthesis mechanism of UV‐curable polysiloxane and the curing mechanism of flame‐retardant microcapsules were analyzed. To verify that DMMP was encapsulated in the microcapsules, X‐ray fluorescence was used before and after microencapsulation. The resulting microcapsules were well monodispersed and exhibited a good spherical shape with a smooth surface. In addition, the size of the microcapsules decreased dramatically with an increasing flow‐rate ratio of the middle‐/inner‐phase or outer‐phase flow rate. The thermal stability of the microcapsules was worse than shell materials but superior to DMMP. Silicone foams (SiFs) with microcapsules prepared using a dehydrogenation method achieved a relatively higher limiting oxygen‐index value than the pure SiF, which indicated that the microcapsules could enhance the flame retardation of SiFs effectively. Because of the polysiloxane shell, the microcapsules had good compatibility with SiFs, and the influence of microcapsules on the mechanical properties of SiFs was unremarkable.     

Preparation and characterization of poly(urethane–urea) microcapsules containing limonene. Kinetic analysis

The synthesis of poly(urethane–urea) shells (PUU) using poly(ethylene glycols) of different molecular weights and methylene-bis(4-cyclohexylisocyanate) was performed for the microencapsulation of limonene, using a step-growth polymerization process. The obtained microcapsules were structurally characterized by dynamic light scattering, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that the core–shell microcapsules had spherical shape, a mean diameter in between 10 and 20?µm, and characteristic urethane-urea bonds. Furthermore, the molecular weight of polyol influences the entrapment efficiency, which ranged from 38 to 55%. The release data were analyzed by applying the Korsmeyer–Peppas model.     

Process regulation for encapsulating pure polyamine via integrating microfluidic T-junction and interfacial polymerization

The quality of microcapsules directly determines the performance of microcapsule-based functional materials, such as self-healing materials. How to achieve high-quality microcapsules depends on not only the selected microencapsulation technique but also the process regulation. Herein, using tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) as the core target to be encapsulated by a novel microencapsulation technique through integrating microfluidic T-junction and interfacial polymerization, this investigation studied how the process parameters influence the microencapsulation process and the quality of the synthesized microcapsules regarding the size, morphology, shell structure, and composition. The studied parameters include the solvent type and surfactant concentration in the co-flow solution, the fed volume of the co-flow solution, the types of the solvent, catalyst, and shell-forming monomer in the reaction solution for the shell-growth stage, and the reaction temperature at the shell-growth stage. The influence mechanisms were established based on the observations, and the optimized parameter combination for the process was achieved. Through the parametric study for the microencapsulation technique, this study also lays a solid foundation for the technique to fabricate microcapsules containing other functional substances with high quality.     

One-step multicomponent encapsulation by compound-fluidic electrospray

Fabrication of sophisticated or smart materials often needs controlled integrating multiple components into a single capsule. Most of conventional microencapsulation strategies merely envelop one content into a shell every time. We report a compound-fluidic electrospray method could one-step enclose multiple components into a single microcapsule without contact. The as-prepared microcapsules have multiple compartments inside, in each of which different content can be addressably loaded. This approach gives flexibility for generating diverse microcapsules that could one-step integrate different active components in microscopic domain free of contact, which may find potential applications in multicomponent drug delivery, microreactors and others.     

Preparation of biodegradable microcapsules through an organic solvent‐free interfacial polymerization method

We prepared microcapsules through an organic solvent‐free interfacial polymerization method, which avoids the release of volatile organic compounds arising from conventional interfacial polymerization methods for microencapsulation. These microcapsules have single and narrow particle size distribution and are spherical pellets with smooth and intact shell, and own excellent biodegradability. Additionally, these biodegradable microcapsules have a higher encapsulation efficiency compared with the microcapsules prepared through conventional interfacial polymerization method and possess sustained and controlled release of core materials.     

Preparation of PCM microcapsules by complex coacervation of silk fibroin and chitosan

Phase change material microcapsules were prepared by complex coacervation of silk fibroin (SF) and chitosan (CHI). n-Eicosane was used as the core material. The effects of SF/CHI ratio, and percentage of cross-linking agent and n-Eicosane content on the properties of microcapsules were studied. The size distribution and the surface morphology of microcapsules were characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy. The encapsulation of core material was determined by energy dispersive spectrometer analysis. The results indicated that SF/CHI microcapsules were prepared successfully. Microcapsules had smooth outer surface when the ratio of SF to CHI was close to 5. On the other hand, at high SF/CHI ratios (≥14), microcapsules showed a two-layer structure, an inner compact layer, and an outer, more porous, sponge-like layer. The highest microencapsulation efficiency was obtained at a SF/CHI ratio of 20 in the presence of 0.9% cross-linking agent and of 1.5% n-Eicosane content.     

Influence of operation conditions on the microencapsulation of PCMs by means of suspension-like polymerization

Microcapsules containing PRS® paraffin wax (core) and a polystyrene shell were prepared by suspension-like polymerization. The influence of reaction temperature, stirring rate, and mass ratio of paraffin wax to styrene on the properties of phase change materials microcapsules was studied. The reaction temperature had not a significant effect on the size of the microcapsules but an increase of molecular weight and a narrow molecular weight distribution of polystyrene shell were observed when reaction temperature was increased. An exponential relationship between the stirring rate and the mean particle diameter in number has been found. It was observed that paraffin is difficultly encapsulated when the paraffin/polymer mass ratio was higher than 2.00, as a consequence of a shortage of polymer that could not completely cover the amount of paraffin added. However, when a large proportion of monomer was employed, the polymer tended to polymerize inside the droplets during the microencapsulation process forming complex inner structures. The microcapsules obtained have an interesting energy storage capacity of 153.5 J/g that makes them suitable for different applications.     

Chitosan–Alginate Microcapsules for Oral Delivery of Egg Yolk Immunoglobulin (IgY): Effects of Chitosan Concentration

In our previous study, chitosan–alginate microcapsules were developed to protect egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) from gastric inactivation. The present study was undertaken to determine the effect of chitosan concentration (0–0.8%; w/v) on various properties of the microcapsules in order to produce the optimum chitosan–alginate microcapsules for use in the oral delivery of IgY. The properties investigated included microcapsule morphology, loading capacity for IgY (expressed as the IgY loading percentage, w/w, of microcapsules), encapsulation efficiency (EE%), in vitro gastroresistance, and IgY release. IgY loading percentage and EE% were both highest at 0.2% (w/v) chitosan, and, above this level, further increases were not observed. The stability of IgY in simulated gastric fluid (pH 1.2) was significantly improved by encapsulation in alginate microcapsules (IgY retained 43.5% of its activity) and was further improved by including chitosan at any of the chitosan concentrations assessed (IgY retained an average of 69.4% activity) although there was no difference in protection of gastric inactivation among concentrations of chitosan varying from 0.05% to 0.8% (w/v). Higher chitosan concentrations (i.e., ≥0.2%; w/v) prolonged the release of IgY from the microcapsules during simulated intestinal fluid incubation (pH 6.8). However, above the 0.2% (w/v) level, no significant differences were observed. We conclude that the optimum chitosan concentration for microencapsulation is 0.2% (w/v).     

pH/temperature dual stimuli-responsive microcapsules with interpenetrating polymer network structure

The microcapsules with interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) structure based on crosslinked poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and crosslinked poly (acrylic acid) (PAA) were fabricated in a three-step process. Firstly, silica/PNIPAM core/shell composite particles were synthesized by thermo-initiated seed precipitation polymerization using 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate modified silica colloidal particles as seeds and N-isopropylacrylamide and N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as monomer and crosslinker, respectively. Secondly, PAA network was incorporated into the shell of the composite particles by redox-initiated polymerization of acrylic acid and MBA entrapped in the PNIPAM network. Finally, the silica core of the composite particles was removed using hydrofluoric acid under certain condition to produce the microcapsules. The chemical compositions, their mass ratio, and particle sizes of the particles formed in each step were determined by Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, and dynamic laser light scattering (DLLS), respectively. The IPN structure of the microcapsules was identified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) using uranyl acetate staining method, and their hollow structure was evidenced by TEM and scanning electron microscopy. Their temperature- or pH-dependent hydrodynamic diameters were measured by DLLS, and the results showed that the microcapules had both pH- and temperature-responsive properties, and the temperature-responsive component and the pH-responsive component inside the microcapsule shell had little interference with each other.     

Microencapsulation of dodecyl acetate by complex coacervation of whey protein with acacia gum and its release behavior

Complex coacervation of whey protein(WP) with acacia gum(AG) was carried out in water with the presence of dodecyl acetate (DA),a component of insect sex pheromones,in order to obtain microcapsules with DA as the core material and WP-AG coacervate as the wall materials.Through variations in wall/core ratios,concentrations of the wall materials in capsule preparations,DA encapsulation was optimized,which showed a high DA encapsulation was achieved when coacervation was conducted at pH 3.5 with wall/core mass ratio at 3 combined with concentration of wall materials at 1.0 wt%.Morphology and the structure of DA loaded microcapsules were examined by scanning electron microscope,which showed the microcapsules were of core/shell structure with DA encapsulated in the inner of the microcapsules.DA release was examined and the behavior of the release was discussed.     

Layered microcapsules for daunorubicin loading and release as well as in vitro and in vivo studies

Anti‐cancer drug daunorubicin (DNR) was encapsulated in preformed multilayer microcapsules and was applied in tumor treatment by in vitro cell culture and in vivo animal experiments. The microcapsules were fabricated by an alternate deposition of oppositely charged polysaccharides, i.e. chitosan and alginate onto carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) doped CaCO₃ colloidal particles in a sequential assembly procedure, followed by crosslinking of the capsule shells with glutaraldehyde (GA) and removal of the templates by disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). The as‐prepared microcapsules showed strong ability to induce the positively charged DNR to deposit into the microcapsule interiors. Confocal microscopy and transmission electron microscopy observed homogeneous distribution of the drug within microcapsules. The loaded DNR could be released again, following a diffusion‐controlled model at the initial stage. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the encapsulated DNR can effectively induce the apoptosis of BEL‐7402 tumor cells, as evidenced by various microscopy techniques after acridine orange (AO), Hoechst 33342, and osmium tetraoxide staining. By seeding the BEL‐7402 hepatoma cells into BALB/c/nu mice, tumors were created for the animal experiments. The results showed that the encapsulated DNR had better efficacy than that of the free drug in terms of tumor inhibition in a 4 week in vivo culture period. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation of monodisperse crosslinked polymelamine microcapsules by phase separation method

Monodisperse polymelamine microcapsules were prepared by phase separation method. Control of microcapsule diameter was investigated using the uniform-sized oil-in-water emulsion droplets as the capsule core. The monodisperse emulsion droplets were prepared using the Shirasu porous glass (SPG) membrane emulsification technique. The effects of the diameter of the oil droplet and concentration of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), which is a typical emulsifier in SPG membrane emulsification, on microencapsulation were investigated. The microcapsules were aggregated when oil droplets with small size were microencapsulated at high SDS concentration. To reduce the SDS concentration, the creamed emulsion was used. The monodisperse polymelamine microcapsules were successfully prepared by using the creamed emulsion. The microcapsule diameter was almost similar to the diameter of the encapsulated oil droplet. The coefficient of variation values was about 10% for all microcapsules prepared in this study. Control of microcapsule diameter was achieved in the range of 5–60 μm.     

Effect of the Amount of Polysorbate 80 and Oregano Essential Oil on the Emulsion Stability and Characterization Properties of Sodium Alginate Microcapsules

Essential oils have a high volatility that leads to evaporation and loss of their pharmacological effect when exposed to the environment. The objectives of the present work were to prepare microcapsules with oregano essential oil by extrusion using sodium alginate as a shell material and non-ionic surfactant polysorbate 80 as an emulsifier to stabilize the emulsion. The present study was aimed to evaluate the physical parameters of microcapsules and to compare the influence of the amount of emulsifier and the essential oil-to-emulsifier ratio on the capsules’ physical parameters and encapsulation efficiency; to our knowledge, the existing research had not yet revealed whether unstable emulsion affects the encapsulation efficiency of oregano essential oil. This study showed that increasing the emulsifier amount in the formulation significantly influenced encapsulation efficiency and particle size. Moreover, increasing the emulsion stability positively influenced the encapsulation efficiency. The emulsion creaming index depended on the emulsifier amount in the formulation: the highest creaming index (%) was obtained with the highest amount of polysorbate 80. However, the essential oil-to-polysorbate 80 ratio and essential oil amount did not affect the hardness of the microcapsules (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the obtained results could be promising information for production of microcapsules. Despite the fact that microencapsulation of essential oils is a promising and extremely attractive application area for the pharmaceutical industry, further basic research needs to be carried out.     

十八烷/聚(St-MMA)相变微胶囊制备及表征

采用乳液聚合的方法,分别选取聚苯乙烯(PS)、聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯(PMMA)或苯乙烯和甲基丙烯酸甲酯的共聚物为壁材,正十八烷为芯材,十二烷基苯磺酸钠(SDBS)为乳化剂,制作相变储能微胶囊。用粒径分析仪、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、热重分析仪(TG)和示差扫描量热测试仪(DSC)对微胶囊的形貌、相变热性能和热稳定性分别进行表征。结果表明:壁材选取两者共聚物,当两种单体的比例为St∶MMA=1∶5,SDBS用量为1.5g(总质量的3%)时,微胶囊粒径大小均匀,粒子分散性好,壁材的包裹性好。微胶囊的放热峰为起始温度为27.3℃,终止温度为31.9℃,相变温度为28.9℃,相变焓为48.4J/g。TG表明长期使用温度不能超过131℃。IR分析微胶囊中含有芯材和壁材。这种十八烷/聚(St-MMA)相变微胶囊可以用于诸能材料。     

Entrapment of α‐Chymotrypsin into Hollow Polyelectrolyte Microcapsules

Stable hollow polyelectrolyte capsules were produced by the layer‐by‐layer assembling of non‐biodegradable polyelectrolytes – poly(allylamine) and poly(styrenesulfonate) on melamine formaldehyde microcores followed by the core decomposition at low pH. A proteolytic enzyme, α‐chymotrypsin, was encapsulated into these microcapsules with high yields of up to 100%. The encapsulation procedure was based on the protein adsorption onto the capsule shells and on the pH‐dependent opening and closing of capsule wall pores. The protein in the capsules retained a high activity, and thermo‐ and storage stability. The nanostructured polyelectrolyte shell protected the proteinase from a high molecular weight inhibitor. Such enzyme‐loaded capsules can be used as microreactors for biocatalysis.