Preparation and characterization of astaxanthin-loaded biodegradable polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) microbeads for personal care and cosmetic applications

Due to its biodegradability and biocompatibility, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) has received attention as an alternative material for microbeads in personal care and cosmetic products (PCCPs). Here, PHB was produced from crude glycerol by an Escherichia coli JM109 strain harboring pUC19-23,119-phaCAB without isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG), an inducing agent. Astaxanthin-loaded PHB microbeads were prepared through emulsification-solvent evaporation. Studies were performed to determine how the concentration of PHB and stirring rate influence the size, surface morphology, encapsulation efficiency (EE), and astaxanthin release profile. The astaxanthin-loaded PHB microbeads exhibited a rough surface, 98.1 ± 0.7 % EE, spherical shape and 179 ± 44 μm size. In addition,