Abstract
Theinterfacialreactionbetweenoppositelychargedpolyolectrolytesinaqueoussolutionformswater-insolublecapsules.Thepreparationandcharacterizationofpolysaccharidehybridcapsulesformedbyelectrostaticinteractionbetweentheanionicgroupsofgellanorgellansulfate(GS)andthecationicgroupsofchitosanwereinvestigated.Whenthesolutionofinsidecomponentwasaddeddropwiseintothesolutionofoutsidecomponent,truesphericalcapsulesimmediatelywereformed.Drugs,proteins,andmagneticmaterialswereeasilyloadedintothechitosan-gellancapsulesbymixingthesubstanceswiththeinsidecomponent.Thereleaseofthedrugsandproteinsfromthecapsulesdependedonchargesandmolecularweightsoftheencapsulatedsubstances.Eightspeciesofsoilfilamentousfungiwereusedfortheevaluationofthebiodegradability.Allfungigrewonthesurfacesofchitosan-gellancapsules.Inthebiochemicaloxygen-demandtest,thebiodegradationpercentageofchitosan-gellancapsulesbyMucorsp・was67%.Thechitosan-gellancapsulesandchitosan-GScapsulesaccumulateddivalentheavymetalions,andshowedahighaffinityespeciallyforcopperion.Themetaladsorptionwasaffectedbythedegreeofsulfation・Theaminogi､oupsonthechitosanweresuggestedtoworkasthecoordinationsitesformetalions.
