Microfluidic approach to produce emulsion-filled alginate microgels

Author(s)

Dias Meirelles, Aureliano Agostinho ^[1] ; Rodrigues Costa, Ana Leticia ^{[1, 2]} ; Michelon, Mariano ^{[3, 4]} ; Vigano, Juliane ^[5] ; Carvalho, Marcio S. ^[4] ; Cunha, Rosiane Lopes ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, Sch Food Engn, Rua Monteiro Lobato 80, BR-13083862 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Estadual Campinas, Sch Chem Engn, Dept Mat & Bioproc Engn, Av Albert Einstein 500, BR-13083852 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[3] Fed Univ Rio Grande FURG, Sch Chem & Food, Rio Grande, RS - Brazil

^[4] Pontificia Univ Catolica Rio de Janeiro, Dept Mech Engn, Lab Microhydrodynam & Flow Porous Media, Rio De Janeiro, RJ - Brazil

^[5] Univ Estadual Campinas, Sch Appl Sci FCA, Multidisciplinary Lab Food & Hlth LabMAS, Rua Pedro Zaccaria 1300, BR-13484350 Sao Paulo, Limeira - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Journal of Food Engineering; v. 315, FEB 2022.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Carrying lipophilic compounds protection within alginate microgels is a challenge, mainly due to the necessary oil-core matrix. Based on this demand, this study aimed to evaluate the use of glass microfluidic devices to produce emulsion-filled alginate microgels and understand the effect of process variables on microgels size and polydispersity. Firstly, stable and monodisperse size-distributed oil microdroplets were formed by preparing an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion using high shear followed by ultrasound. The continuous aqueous phase was composed of Na-alginate, cellulose nanocrystals and ultrafine calcium carbonate. Sunflower oil composed the emulsion oil phase (10%, w/w). Secondly, oil-in-water-in-oil (O/W/O) emulsions were formed within microfluidics devices to obtain emulsion-filled hydrogel particles. The previously produced O/W emulsion was introduced as the dispersed phase into a continuous phase containing sunflower oil, PGPR and acetic acid. The aqueous phase was gelled by internal gelation, promoting the alginate network. Monodisperse particle size distribution was observed, with a coefficient of variation lower than 6% and mean size ranging from 259 to 526 mu m. Microgels size was influenced by the viscosity of O/W emulsion and the phases flow rates. Our results show the potential of microfluidic processes for producing microgels and filled microgels to encapsulate lipophilic compounds. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 19/07744-1 - Use of microfluidic devices to evaluate emulsion stability
• Grantee: Rosiane Lopes da Cunha
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 17/18109-0 - Development of an emulsion stability analyzer from microfluidics
• Grantee: Tatiana Porto dos Santos
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 20/15774-5 - Development of methods of extraction, separation and two-dimensional analysis of phenolic compounds in natural products
• Grantee: Juliane Viganó
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 20/02313-0 - Microfluidic and 3D bioprinting routes for the development of macrophage encapsulation systems based on hybrid gellan and fibrin hydrogels
• Grantee: Ana Leticia Rodrigues Costa Lelis
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 11/06083-0 - Emulsification by microchannels
• Grantee: Rosiane Lopes da Cunha
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants