Investigating the Feasibility of Xylitol and Gelatin for Controlled Release System in Drug Delivery using Calcium Alginate

Calcium Alginate-based beads have been recognized to have high potential for pharmaceutical applications thanks to their ease of use and biocompatibility. This study aims to investigate how xylitol and gelatin could be used for a controlled drug delivery system and how to manipulate such a delivery system. For the study, calcium alginate beads were synthesized using two different calcium compounds: calcium lactate (CL) and calcium chloride (CC). Varying concentrations of the calcium compounds in the beads were prepared to measure their effects on their characteristics, such as size, weight, strength, and, most importantly, the diffusion rate. The study attempted to manipulate the diffusion rates by incorporating xylitol and gelatin into the calcium alginate membrane. A comparative analysis revealed that CC and CL affected the beads differently. For instance, bead size increased with CC concentration up to 5%, after which it decreased, while CL showed a more consistent decrease in size as concentration increased. Weight generally decreased with higher concentrations of both CC and CL, but the reduction was more pronounced with CL. The popping force increased with CC concentration but had a non-linear relationship with CL, reaching around 7% concentration before decreasing. The study also examined the percentage change in weight after 48 hours of drying. For smaller beads (3mm), the weight change decreased with higher CC concentration, but for larger beads (7.05mm), the trend reversed, showing an increase in weight change at higher concentrations. Similar patterns were observed for CL, with weight change initially decreasing but increasing with higher concentrations. Our diffusion studies found that the xylitol concentration generally enhanced diffusion rates, with CL beads showing a greater initial diffusion than CC beads. In contrast, gelatin concentration has less predictable effects on diffusion rates. For CL beads, more gelatin results in less dye diffusion, suggesting that gelatin may impact the initial release of dye from the beads.