Ultrasonic degradation of alginate: A matrix for iron encapsulation using gelation

Alginate has various biological, physical, and chemical properties that can be modified to fulfill a specific purpose. Ultrasonic degradation is a safe and simple method used for alginate modification. This study studied the effect of ultrasonic treatment on the viscosity, molecular weight, solubility and degree of swelling of degraded alginate. Furthermore, performance of these degraded alginates as a matrix for iron encapsulation was also determined using a gelation method. Ethanol concentration and duration of the degradation were negatively correlated with viscosity and molecular weight of alginate, whereas alginate concentration had the opposite effect. Encapsulation using 10% alginate that was degraded using 75% ethanol for 60 min showed the highest encapsulation efficiency. This degraded alginate formed soft, fragile and loose beads when trapping and protecting the iron. The degradation induced the release of iron from the beads at pH 1.2 and 6.8. The iron release from the beads followed the semi-empirical Korsmeyer-Peppas model (R-2 > 0.92). The lower molecular weight alginate was not as good as the native alginate in encapsulating iron using gelation.

Automated summary

Alginate can be modified using ultrasonic degradation method for specific purposes. Degraded alginate can be used as a matrix for iron encapsulation, and the released iron follows the Korsmeyer-Peppas model.