Fabrication and characterization of core-shell microspheres composed of pectin and arabinoxylans as controlled release systems for insulin

摘要

Core-shell microspheres were manufactured by the method of coaxial electrospray. The microspheres designed are intended as colon-targeted oral insulin delivery system. The fabrication materials were polysaccharides such as low degree of esterification pectin (shell) and ferulated arabinoxylans (core). Microspheres were analyzed by dynamic light scattering to determine the average particle size. Structure and morphology was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and confocal microscopy, in order to observe and verify the presence of the core-shell structures and determine the distribution of insulin in the microspheres. Core-shell arrangement was observed for all particle sizes. In 50% of the experimental trials 3 μm and lower average diameters were obtained. At the moment of this work the authors had not found previous reports on electrospray fabrication of particles with these biopolymers nor core-shell arrangement for oral insulin delivery matrices.