Abstract
Alginate microspheres were produced by emulsification/internal gelation of alginate sol dispersed within vegetable oil. Gelification was initiated within the alginate sol by a reduction in pH (7.5 to 6.5), releasing calcium from an insoluble complex. Smooth, spherical beads with the narrowest size dispersion were obtained when using low-guluronic-acid and low-viscosity alginate and a carbonate complex as the calcium vector. A more finely dispersed form of the complexed calcium within the alginate sol promotes a more homogeneous gelification. Microsphere mean diameters ranging from 50 μm to 1000 μm were obtained with standard deviations ranging from 35% to 45% of the mean.
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Poncelet, D., Poncelet De Smet, B., Beaulieu, C. et al. Production of alginate beads by emulsification/internal gelation. II. Physicochemistry. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 43, 644–650 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00164768
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00164768