Design a Setup for Preparation of Chitosan Microbeads Based on Economic and Size Consideration

Abstract

A setup was designed to prepare chitosan microbeads under optimum conditions. Chitosan microbeads find their wide range of applications in drug delivery systems, immobilisation of cells, enzymes and antibodies, as chromatographic supports and adsorbents for removal of metal ions from organic and aqueous solutions. Conventional methods of preparation of chitosan microbeads include spray drying, emulsification. In the present study the chitosan gel microbeads fabrication is done by extruding chitosan solutions through a syringe needle under centrifugal force. Chitosan drops were released from the needle at a definite rate depending upon the rotational speed of the centrifuge. These drops interact with 10% TPP solution, which act as a cross linker, to form microbeads. Microbeads of uniform diameter can be obtained by optimising the pH of TPP solution to 4 using acetic acid. The microbeads formation of varying diameters was observed by varying the chitosan solution concentration in the range of 1%-2%.