In-situ Gelation of Sodium Alginate-chitosan for Oral Delivery of Probiotics

We developed a new preparation to protect probiotic cells from adverse environmental conditions and improve their livability, which is called Lactobacillus casei-Sodium alginate-Chitosan (LSC). The LSC was prepared by mixing probiotics with sodium alginate-chitosan sol. The preparation contained complex calcium ions, which were released in the acidic environment of gastric juice, thus crosslinking to form in-situ gel. Different proportions of sodium alginate-chitosan were prepared to add to simulate gastrointestinal fluid to get the best ratio. The optimal ratio of LSC preparation was compared with traditional gel microspheres to observe the survival effect of probiotics in gastrointestinal fluid environment. Compared with sodium alginate sol, the porosity of sodium alginate-chitosan sol is lower, which is beneficial to the protection of probiotics. When the ratio of chitosan to sodium alginate is 1.5: 1.5 (w/v), the protective effect is the best. The protective ability of LSC is 64 times that of traditional microspheres, and it has the potential of synergistic anti-tumor. A probiotic preparation with simple preparation process and better protection effect compared with traditional microspheres was prepared, which has joint anti-tumor potential.