U of A Refines Controlled-Release Systems for Drug Delivery

Photo by Russell Cothren

Jin-Woo Kim, Distinguished Professor of biological and agricultural engineering.

Controlled-release systems deliver medication and other bioactive compounds to the ideal spot inside a body and over a specific time. New research from the U of A and the U of A System Division of Agriculture could improve these systems used for probiotics that boost gut health, drugs that target cancer cells and other medications for human and animal health.

The researchers combined two organic materials, cellulose nanocrystals derived from wood pulp and alginate from brown algae, to create strong beads that encapsulate bioactive compounds. The micron-sized beads, 1/100th the size of the finest grain of beach sand, tighten in an acidic environment like the stomach, protecting the bioactive compound from both acid and the digestive enzymes. The beads swell in an alkaline, or basic, environment like the intestines, releasing the bioactive compound and then harmlessly dissolving.

The beads were created using electrohydrodynamic extrusion, which had not previously been used for a composite of cellulose nanocrystals and alginate. The electrohydrodynamic process provides more control over the size and shape of the beads, two issues with other approaches to producing controlled release systems.

The findings were published in a recent issue of the journal Carbohydrate Polymers. The senior author was Jin-Woo Kim, Distinguished Professor of biological and agricultural engineering for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the U of A System Division of Agriculture. He is also a professor of materials science and engineering in the College of Engineering at the U of A.

The new controlled-release system could be particularly effective at delivering probiotics to the gut, where they can aid digestion and boost the immune system.

Engineered Nanocellulose Microspheres Cellulose nanocrystal-based microspheres that can be used for controlled delivery and release of drugs and other bioactive compounds.

“Probiotics are sensitive to acid. Most will die in the stomach,” Kim said.

Kim received a grant from the Arkansas Research Alliance to use the new controlled-release system to add probiotics into animal feed, reducing the need for antibiotics and lowering farming costs. Kim’s industry partner on the ARA grant is CelluDot, a startup headquartered at the Arkansas Research and Technology Park.

CelluDot’s founder and CEO, Joseph Batta-Mpouma, is the first author on the controlled release paper. The other authors are Gurshagan Kandhola, chief technology officer of CelluDot; Jaspreet Kaur, program assistant for the U of A Food Science Department; Kayla Foley, a post-doctoral researcher in chemical engineering; and Keisha Bishop Walters, professor of chemical engineering. Nalinikanth Kotagiri from University of Cincinnati’s James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy was also an author.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy  through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.