Paper Title
In-vitro Release of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) from Alginate-Inulin Hydrogel

Abstract
This study investigates the controlled release of a model of protein drug, Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) from alginate-inulin hydrogels produced through ionotropic gelation method. The amount of inulin has been the main factor affecting the stability and efficiency of hydrogels in protecting the BSA from gastric degradation in the stomach and absorption in intestinal tract. The encapsulation efficiency of BSA was increased as the amount of inulin incorporated into the hydrogel was increased. The in-vitro dissolution of these hydrogels demonstrated that only a trace amount of protein was released in simulated gastric fluid, SGF (pH 1.2). However, after changing into simulated gastric fluid, SIF (pH 7.4) 100% of protein was released within 1.5 hours. The swelling index of alginate-inulin hydrogels was lower in acidic (pH 1.2) compare in alkaline phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) indicating pH sensitive swelling behavior. These hydrogels were also characterized by SEM and TA for hydrogels surface morphology and hydrogels strength, respectively. Moreover, among all the formulations produced, formulation 2% (w/v) ALG- 5% (w/v) inulin has shown the best results with the most suitable sustained protein release pattern during SIF exposure and also demonstrated the highest hydrogel strength after SGF exposure. These findings suggest that sodium alginate-inulin hydrogels could be advantageous as oral administration of protein drugs to prolong efficacy and improve bioavailability. Index Terms - Alginate, Inulin, Protein release, Controlled delivery.