Preparation and Characterization of Opuntia dillenii Haw. Polysaccharide Gelatin Microspheres

Abstract

This study examines the preparation, preliminary characterization and antioxidant abilities of Opuntia dillenii Haw polysaccharides-gelatin microspheres (ODP-GMS). ODP-GMS was prepared through W/O emulsion chemicalcrossline method.The result shows that under the optimal conditions which a water/oil (W/O) ratio of 1 to 3.67, 1.06% emulsifier content and 11.47 mg/mL Opuntia dillenii Haw polysaccharides (ODP), the size of the spheroid ODP-GMS was relatively homogeneous and the diameter exhibited a normal distribution curve. The diameter of the microspheres increased by 22.81±0.45% after they were exposed to water for 2 hours. The accumulative release rate of ODP-GMS reached 90%in HCl over 12 hours, while the release rate was 85% in PBS over 24 hours. ODP-GMS had strong scavenging effects on three types of free-radicals (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, hydroxyl radicals, and superoxide radical). These results suggested that gelatin-based microspheres offer excellent potential as carriers for the controlled release of ODP in functional foods or medicine.