Construction and Characterization of Sodium Alginate/Pectin Hydrogel Beads With Surfactant‐Tailored Release Behavior for Targeted Intestinal Delivery of Exenatide

ABSTRACT The development of intestinal‐targeted drug delivery systems holds substantial scientific and therapeutic importance, with the precise modulation of intestinal targeting properties representing a critical research challenge. To address this, we developed an oral drug delivery platform based on pH‐responsive sodium alginate‐pectin hydrogel beads, loaded with exenatide as a model drug and further optimized performance by incorporating surfactants, specifically sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium N ‐lauroylsarcosinate (SNS). Comprehensive characterization of the composite hydrogel beads was conducted, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), pH‐dependent swelling tests, drug loading efficiency and in vitro release test. The results indicated that surfactant incorporation effectively modulates the morphological properties of the hydrogel beads. A key finding was that SNS‐modified hydrogel beads exhibited markedly enhanced encapsulation efficiency and drug loading capacity, highlighting their potential for intestinal‐targeted drug delivery applications. This study may provide innovative strategies and methodologies for the design and optimization of advanced intestinal‐targeted drug delivery systems.