Optimization of preparation conditions for calcium pectinate with response surface methodology and its application for cell encapsulation

The most notable and unique property of pectin is its ability to form gels, which is the foundation of its many functions and applications. To obtain the desired pectin hydrogel beads for tissue engineering or biological applications, the combined effect of the key factors of gel properties of calcium pectinate (CP) beads were investigated by response surface methodology (RSM). The results derived from RSM indicated that the model equation of average size and mechanical stability were significant and could be used to describe the process under a wide range of preparation conditions. The optimum condition for preparing variables were gained graphically. Moreover, the degree of methyl-esterification (DE) of pectin and pectin - calcium concentrates showed significant and combined effort on sphericity factor (SF). The mechanical stability of CP beads was significantly affected by the quadratic contributions of the pectin concentration, the interaction effects between pectin and calcium concentration, and the linear contribution of pectin concentration. The viability and proliferation of cells encapsulated in optimal CP beads demonstrated that the optimal formula results in better gel properties and are more suitable to cell encapsulation.