Microcapsules, e.g. useful as filtration and chromatography media, comprise intact macroporous pollen exine or sporoderm

摘要

Microcapsules whose size, shape and mechanical strength are defined by either intact purified macroporous pollen exine consisting of sporopollenin, or intact macroporous sporoderm consisting of sporopollenin are new. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a dispersion comprising the microcapsules and a liquid; (2) production of the microcapsules by: (a) subjecting spores or pollen to a combination of known processes for hydrolyzing carbohydrates, extracting lipids and solubilizing aggregated complexes of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids without mechanical disruption or acetolysis in a concentrated acid; and (b) drying the resulting sporopollenin-containing particles in the absence of alcohol, acetone or other sporopollenin-swelling volatile liquids; and (3) production of the dispersion of (1) by dispersing the microcapsules in a solution of a substance to be encapsulated in a volatile solvent, evaporating the solvent until the solution is removed from the spaces between the particles, and transferring the microcapsules into a nonsolvent for the substance to be encapsulated.