[Study on the swelling and release properties of pectinate gel beads crosslinked with different metal ions]

This study was aimed to reveal how the swelling properties and release behavior of a model drug from pectin gel beads were influenced by its crosslinking with different metal ions. Coomassie Brilliant Blue G-250 was chosen as the model drug. Pectinate beads were prepared by the dropping method and crosslinked with Ca2+, Fe3+, Zn2+, Ba2+, respectively. The release behavior and swelling properties were investigated. The results showed that there were significant differences between the pectinate beads that were crosslinked with different ions. Pectinate gel beads, as a potential cell microencapsulation and drug vehicle, could be acquired for different release profile by crosslinking with different ions.