Abstract:
Presently, we explore a cobiotic-ginger extract (GE; antioxidant-antiinflammatory) and Lactobacillus acidophilus (LAB, probiotic), for control of oxidative-stress, inflammation and dysbiosis mediated gut ailments. Since orally administered LAB looses viability while GE is a gastric irritant with poor ADME, we encapsulated them into calcium-alginate beads. Water-loving, viscolysing, and osmotic-building effects of polyethylene glycol were used to address poor probiotic encapsulation (≤10%) by effective sealing of numerous fine voids formed in the alginate gel. Beads were systematically optimized for maximum entrapment (92 ± 2.3% for GE, and 30 ± 1.2% for LAB) and sustained release, and were coated with eudragit-S100 for colonic-targetability, as established by in-vitro release.