Browsing by Author "Kindipan, Cherry Ann"

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    Development and characterization of vitamin C-loaded chitosan/alginate microcapsules for enhanced oral immunostimulation in aquaculture
    (International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics, January 31, 2026) Quiazon, Karl Marx A.; Gagelonia, Jefferson D.; Padron, Aries Paul D.; Kindipan, Cherry Ann; Damian, Kae M.; Bautista, Jefferson C.; Hoggang, Cheryl Grace B.; Mateo Jr., Roberto J.; Eugenio, Paul Jhon G.; Monserate, Juvy J.; Tadeo, Faith S.; Entoma, Aphrodite S.; Arevalo, Benyl John A.; Macaraeg, Niko A.; Choresca, Casiano H., Jr.
    Immunostimulants are widely used in aquaculture to enhance host immune responses and improve disease resistance. Vitamin deficiencies, by contrast, are primarily prevented or corrected through dietary vitamin supplementation. Notably, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), although a vitamin, is also frequently studied as an immunostimulant due to its immunomodulatory effects. In parallel, oral vaccination has emerged as a promising strategy for mass immunization in aquaculture because it is easy to administer, reduces handling stress, and can be cost-effective. However, harsh gastrointestinal conditions can degrade orally administered bioactives before they elicit a measurable immune response. Moreover, vitamin C is one of the most commonly utilized immunostimulants administered orally, yet its sensitivity to the environment poses a major problem during fish immunization due to leaching. Therefore, this research aimed to optimize a biopolymer-based microencapsulation system using a chitosan–alginate biopolymer system for the effective oral delivery of vitamin C as an immunostimulant in tilapia. A Box–Behnken experimental design was employed to evaluate the effects of key formulation parameters, sodium alginate concentration, vitamin C concentration, and gelling time on encapsulation efficiency (EE) and loading capacity (LC). Results showed that these variables significantly affected both %EE and %LC. The optimal formulation comprised 1.0% sodium alginate and 0.05 ppm vitamin C with immediate gelation, achieving 84.19% EE and 0.471% LC. Spectrophotometric and thermogravimetric analyses confirmed successful vitamin C encapsulation, and the optimized microcapsules exhibited uniform morphology and excellent stability. This microencapsulation strategy demonstrates strong potential for enhancing the oral delivery of vitamin C (and potentially other labile immunostimulants) in tilapia.