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Updated: Jul 7, 2026
Generation of Alginate Microspheres for Biomedical Applications
Published on: August 12, 2012
Dual cations cross-linked alginate-kaolin hydrogel beads for chlortetracycline hydrochloride loading: Preparation,
Wei Liu1, Fizir Meriem2, Touil Sami3
1Zhejiang Pharmaceutical University, Ningbo, 315500, Zhejiang, China.
Abstract:
This study aims to evaluate the performance of dual cation cross-linked alginate-kaolin hydrogel beads (Fe/Ca-Alg@K) as drug delivery system, and comprehensively investigate the mechanisms of CTC drug loading and sustained release profile, while also assessing their antibacterial efficacy for potential therapeutic applications. The synthesized hydrogel beads were characterized by SEM, EDS, FTIR, BET, TGA, and XPS confirming their porous architecture, stable chemical structure, and enhanced thermal stability. Incorporating kaolin significantly improved drug encapsulation efficiency, reaching up to 89.47 ± 1.6 %, and a loading capacity of 317.03 ± 1.4 mg/g, while dual cross-linking with Ca2+ and Fe3+ ions further strengthened the matrix network and improved drug adsorption capacity and encapsulation efficiency. The adsorption mechanism of CTC onto Fe/Ca-Alg@K hydrogel beads revealed multiple interactions involving both the functional groups of beads and the elemental components (Si and Al) of K. In vitro drug release studies revealed that Fe/Ca-Alg@K could sustain the release of CTC, and the release profile was best described by quasi-Fickian diffusion at pH 1.2, while controlled by diffusion combined with polymer swelling and erosion in pH 7.4. Antibacterial assays confirmed the bioactivity of released CTC. The developed composite system shows promise for controlled drug delivery and localized antibacterial therapies.
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