Effect of Sodium Hydroxide and Tripolyphosphate on Curcumin Release from Chitosan-Based Macroparticles

This work deals with the synthesis of bare and curcumin (CUR)-loaded chitosan (CS)-based macroparticles by ionic gelation using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP). The resulting spherical-shaped macroparticles were studied using various characterization techniques, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The release of CUR from the CS-based particles with respect to time was analyzed, and the encapsulation efficiency and degree of swelling were studied. All formulations showed excellent CUR trapping efficiency, exceeding 90%. In particular, the TPP-crosslinked macrobeads released 34 wt% of the charged CUR within minutes, while the remaining 66 wt% was released slowly. The results indicate that the correct choice of gelling agent and its concentration leads to spherical particles capable of encapsulating CUR and releasing it in a wide range of kinetics so that macrospheres can be used in different applications.

Automated summary

This study focused on the synthesis of chitosan-based macroparticles loaded with curcumin using two different gelling agents, sodium hydroxide and sodium tripolyphosphate. Various characterization techniques were used to analyze the resulting spherical particles, and the release of curcumin over time was studied. The results showed that both gelling agents led to high encapsulation efficiency of curcumin, with the TPP-crosslinked particles releasing the curcumin at a slower rate compared to the NaOH-crosslinked particles, indicating the potential use of these macrospheres in different applications.