Electrophoretic properties of sulfamethoxazole microcapsules and gelatin-acacia coacervates

The electrophoretic properties of sulfamethoxazole microcapsules and the coacervates prepared by gelatin-acacia coacervation were investigated. The effects of the parameters in the microcapsule preparation, such as the coacervation pH, amount of formaldehyde used for hardening, and drying method of the coacervates, on the zeta-potential of the resultant microcapsules were clarified. The Büchner effect was observed in coacervates in an electric field, which indicated that the coacervate wall was flexible. The zeta-potential versus pH curves of the coacervates appeared on the upper side of the plain sulfamethoxazole, while those of the microcapsules dried conventionally shifted to the lower side due to the denaturation of the gelatin in the microcapsule wall, which occurred during drying. Spray drying increased the denaturation of gelatin, which imparted a negative charge to the spray-dried microcapsules. Formalization of the coacervates refined the electrophoretic behavior of the microcapsules, depending on the amount of formaldehyde used. The zeta-potential of the plain sulfamethoxazole also was measured in the simulated coacervation solution to analyze the mechanism of coacervation electrophoretically.