STARCH ENCAPSULATION OF BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE AGENTS BY A CONTINUOUS PROCESS

摘要

Biologically active agents to be encapsulated are continuously blended with a st archy material and water, subjected to high-shear mechanical action at a temperature above the gelatinization temperatu re of starch, and continuously recovered as an insolubilized matrix of starch that entraps discontinuous domains of the agent. Alternatively, the core material to be encapsulated is added and blended with the aqueous dispersion of starch after the starch and water have been subjected to an elevated temperature sufficient to gelatinize the starch. Rate of release of agents to th e environment can be controlled by preselecting a set of conditons related to various processing parameters. Encapsulation of biologicall y active compositions provides protection against degradative environmental conditions, improves safety in handling and slows the release of such compounds to the surrounding medium.