Influence of The Formulation on The Encapsulation and Release of 5-ASA in Polysaccharide Beads

The 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) is an antiinflammatory used to treat inflammatory diseases of the intestine and colon. It is water-soluble, with its solubility depending on pH and temperature, but it is easily oxidizable. Encapsulation is known to protect fragile molecules. In this study, 5-ASA was encapsulated using three polysaccharides (non-amidated low methoxyl pectin (LMP), amidated (ALMP) and polygalacturonic acid (PGA)) to obtain beads, by the process of ionic gelation. This work allows us to understand the influence of these polysaccharides on the properties of the beads and on the in vitro release of 5-ASA before considering in vivo studies.