Albumin-furcellaran complexes as cores for nanoencapsulation

The possibility of using protein-polysaccharide complexes as cores for nanocapsules formation by sequential adsorption of polyelectrolytes were investigated. We selected the globular protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) and the natural anionic polysaccharide-furcellaran (FUR) and studied their cornplexation in the broad range of their concentration ratio and pH of the solutions. Analysing the zeta potential dependencies on these parameters, we selected optimal conditions for the core formation. The capsule shells were formed by the layer-by-layer adsorption of polyelectrolytes; polycation PDADMAC (polydiallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride) and polyanion PSS poly(sodium-4-styrene sulfonate). Depending on the shell thickness the size of the capsules was in the range of 60-80 nm. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.