Reversed chitosan–alginate polyelectrolyte complex for stability improvement of alpha-amylase: Optimization and physicochemical characterization

The present work explores, using response surface methodology, the main and interaction effects of some process variables on the preparation of a reversed chitosan–alginate polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) with entrapped α-amylase for stability improvement. A 33 full factorial design was used to investigate the effect of the chitosan and alginate concentrations and hardening time on the percent entrapment, time required for 50% (T50) and 90% (T90) enzyme release, and particle size. The beads were prepared by dropping chitosan containing α-amylase into a sodium alginate solution without any salt. The in vitro enzyme release profile of the beads was fitted to various release kinetics models to study the release mechanism. A topographical characterization was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the entrapment was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Stability testing was carried out according to the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines for zones III and IV. Beads prepared using 2.5% w/v chitosan and 3% w/v sodium alginate with a hardening time of 60 min had more than 90% entrapment and a T90 value greater than 48 min. Moreover, the shelf-life of the enzyme-loaded beads was found to increase to 3.68 years, compared with 0.99 years for the conventional formulation. It can be inferred that the proposed methodology can be used to prepare a reversed PEC of chitosan and alginate with good mechanical strength, provided both the reactants are in a completely ionized form at the time of the reaction. Proper selection of the reaction pH, polymer concentration and hence charge density, and hardening time is important and determines the characteristics of the PEC.