Preparation and characterization of alginate-gelatin microencapsulated Bacillus subtilis SL-13 by emulsification/internal gelation

Gelatin was blended with sodium alginate (NaALG) to obtain a novel microbial fungicide, and dispersed micron Bacillus subtilis SL-13 microspheres prepared by emulsification/internal gelation method. Microscopic examination revealed that microcapsules were nearly spherical in shape. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction confirmed that the electrostatic interaction was occurred when gelatin added into NaALG. The maximum encapsulation efficiency was 93.44% at a gelatin concentration of 1.5%. Particle size, swelling, and biodegradation of beads increased with gelatin content increase. Furthermore, the viability of encapsulated SL-13 could be preserved at more than 10(8)CFU/mL after 120d storage at 25 degrees C. The number of viable cells released from microcapsules presented an initial rapid increase followed by a gradual increase, and reached the maximum as 10(10)CFU/mL on day 35. Thus, it is feasible to prepare uniform, rounded shape, and well-dispersed micron microcapsules of SL-13 via emulsification/internal gelation using NaALG and gelatin composites. This encapsulation strategy could be considered as a potential alternative to future applications in the agricultural industry.