Preparation of alginate gel beads containing chitosan salt and their function

Alginate gel bead containing chitosan salt was prepared and the function was investigated. When the bead was placed in bile acid solution it rapidly took bile acid into itself. The uptake amount of taurocholate was about 25 mu mol per 0.2 g dried gel beads. This phenomenon was observed on the case of the beads incorporating colestyramine instead of chitosan. Therefore, it seems that the ion-exchange reaction accompanying the insoluble complex-formation between chitosan salt and bile acid occurs in calcium alginate gel matrix. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.