Preparation and characterization of alginate–N-2-hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan microcapsules loaded with patchouli oil

Abstract

In this work, alginate (Alg)–N-2-hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan (HACC) microcapsules containing patchouli oil were prepared by a complex coacervation method. The effects of the emulsification process including amount of surfactants and stirring rate on the particle size distributions were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the microcapsules were a regular spherical shape with particle sizes ranging from 0.5 to 5 μm. The release of the microcapsules with different core/wall ratios exhibited an initial rapid release phase and a following slow release phase, which obeyed Rigter–Peppas release kinetics. The antibacterial activity of the microcapsules was evaluated by both disc-diffusion and minimal inhibitory concentration methods, revealing that the loaded microcapsules had a stronger antibacterial effect against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus than the hollow microcapsules. The microcapsules can be applied in medicine as a drug release system, in the textile industry as an antibacterial agent, and in the perfume industry as a fixative.