Effects of aldehydes and methods of cross-linking on properties of calcium alginate microspheres prepared by emulsification

Calcium alginate microspheres were prepared by an emulsification method and cross-linked with various aldehydes using different methods. Methanal and pentanedial produced low aggregation of microspheres while octanal and octadecanal produced the opposite effect. The latter two aldehydes displaced very little calcium ions from the alginate microspheres, indicating that the aggregation was due to the tackiness imparted by the aldehydes to the microsphere surface. Higuchi's model was not applicable to the drug release from microspheres in this study. The microspheres treated with methanal or pentanedial showed comparable dissolution T 75% values which were significantly higher than that of the control. In contrast, octanal and octadecanal produced microspheres with lower dissolution T 75% values. The drug contents of the microspheres treated with aldehydes were significantly lower than that of the control. There was insignificant interaction between the aldehydes and the drug. However, the aldehydes were found to impart acidity to the aqueous solution to varying extents, resulting in varying drug loss from the microspheres. The properties of the microspheres were also markedly affected by the method of incorporating the aldehyde. Soaking the microspheres in methanal solution produced microspheres with marked aggregation and low drug content.