International Journal of Nanomedicine (Jul 2018)

In situ fabrication of radiopaque microcapsules for oral delivery and real-time gastrointestinal tracking of Bifidobacterium

  • Fang Z,
  • Jiang R,
  • Zhang L,
  • Wu Y,
  • Zhao X,
  • Zhao L,
  • Li J,
  • Zou S,
  • Zhang M,
  • Du F

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 13
pp. 4093 – 4105

Abstract

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Zhengzou Fang,1,* Rong Jiang,2,* Lirong Zhang,3,* Yunchao Wu,2 Xuefen Zhao,2 Lulu Zhao,2 Jiangang Li,4 Shengqiang Zou,1 Miaomiao Zhang,2 Fengyi Du1,2 1Department of Hepatosis, The Third Hospital of Zhenjiang Affiliated Jiangsu University, 2School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, 3Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, 4Tianyi Health Sciences Institute (Zhenjiang) Co., Ltd. Zhenjiang, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Introduction: Although oral administration of Bifidobacterium is a promising approach for diseases, lack of resistance to harsh conditions and real-time tracking in gastrointestinal system in vivo are still major challenges in basic research and clinical applications. Materials and methods: In this study, we fabricated a chitosan-coated alginate microcapsule loaded with in situ synthesized barium sulfate (CA/BaSO4 microcapsule) for oral Bifidobacterium delivery and real-time X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging. CA/BaSO4 microcapsules containing the Bifidobacterium were prepared in situ by one-step electrostatic spraying method, and then coated with chitosan. Results: The results indicated that CA/BaSO4 microcapsules with an average diameter of approximately 200 µm possessed favorable mechanical stability and X-ray attenuation capacity. Encapsulation of Bifidobacteria in the CA/BaSO4 microcapsules exhibited superior resistance to cryopreservation and gastric acid environment in vitro. After oral administration in mice, these CA/BaSO4 microcapsules could be real-time visualized by CT imaging and readily reached the intestine to release Bifidobacteria. Conclusion: The radiopaque CA/BaSO4 microcapsules provide a novel platform for efficient protection, non-invasive real-time monitoring and intestinal-targeted Bifidobacterium delivery. Keywords: alginate, microcapsule, CT imaging, intestinal-targeted, Bifidobacterium

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