Performances of NaCS-WSC protein drug microcapsules with different degree of substitution of NaCS using sodium polyphosphate as cross-linking agent

Sodium cellulose sulfate-water soluble chitosan (NaCS-WSC) microcapsules loaded with lactoferrin were fabricated with special performances using different degree of substitution (DS) of NaCS and WSC as potential micro-drug-carriers for colon. Effect of using cross-linking agent (sodium polyphosphate) and DS of NaCS on the structures and performances of microcapsules was studied. The results of laser scanning confocal microscope showed that fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled lactoferrin distributed evenly in the drug-loaded microcapsules with cross-linker. NaCSs (DS: 0.51 and DS: 0.66, respectively) were chosen to prepare lactoferrin loaded microcapsules with WSC and cross-linker for comparison studies. DS of NaCS had some effects on erosion properties in which the erosion ratios of microcapsules with DS of 0.51 were higher than that with DS of 0.66, but showed no effect on swelling behaviors. Drug loading and encapsulation efficiencies of microcapsules (DS: 0.66) were 51.05 +/- A 0.97 and 75.88 +/- A 1.44 %, respectively, which were higher than that of microcapsules with DS of 0.51. In vitro release studies showed that the percentage of drug release of microcapsules (DS: 0.51) were higher than that of microcapsules with DS of 0.66 in simulated colonic fluid (pH 6.4) under mechanism of Anomalous (non-Fickian) transport, indicating that they are promising candidates as sustained protein drug delivery carriers with special performances.