Development of Crystal Violet encapsulation in pectin - Arabic gum gel microspheres

Abstract

Six pectins with 35% to 91% methoxylation degree were purified and characterized to encapsulate Crystal Violet (CV). Amidated low methoxylated pectin (ALMP) was selected based on microsphere morphologies, aqueous solubility, viscosity and the effect of calcium concentration. Pectin microspheres were stabilized with Arabic gum (AG) and optimized according to the loading. Microspheres composed of 2.0% ALMP-1.0% AG crosslinked with 450 mM calcium(II) were able to encapsulate 217 ± 2 μM CV. Optical microscopy of the gels revealed spheroid microspheres with 250 ± 50 μm diameter containing homogenous CV distribution. Dried microspheres observed by SEM and epifluorescence showed a highly shrinkable matrix keeping the spheroidal morphology. Low relative viscosity of the ALMP-AG-CV solutions was found compared to ALMP and ALMP-AG. The Young moduli (60–80 Pa) of ALMP-AG microspheres by texturometric analysis indicated that the CV could interfere with the gel crosslinking. Raman spectroscopy analysis suggested some interaction of CV nucleophilic center within the matrix. FTIR of the matrix showed largest shifts in the carbonyl and carboxylate groups probably associated to H-bridges. CV stability studies performed on ALMP-AG microspheres, synthetized from polymer solutions with pH values above and below pectin pKa and showed faster CV release rates in presence of ionic strength.