Development and characterization of vitamin C-loaded chitosan/alginate microcapsules for enhanced oral immunostimulation in aquaculture

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creativework.keywordsaquatic animal health, biopolymer-based delivery system, drug delivery, fish immunization, immunostimulant, optimization, screening, vaccine delivery
dc.contributor.authorQuiazon, Karl Marx A.
dc.contributor.authorGagelonia, Jefferson D.
dc.contributor.authorPadron, Aries Paul D.
dc.contributor.authorKindipan, Cherry Ann
dc.contributor.authorDamian, Kae M.
dc.contributor.authorBautista, Jefferson C.
dc.contributor.authorHoggang, Cheryl Grace B.
dc.contributor.authorMateo Jr., Roberto J.
dc.contributor.authorEugenio, Paul Jhon G.
dc.contributor.authorMonserate, Juvy J.
dc.contributor.authorTadeo, Faith S.
dc.contributor.authorEntoma, Aphrodite S.
dc.contributor.authorArevalo, Benyl John A.
dc.contributor.authorMacaraeg, Niko A.
dc.contributor.authorChoresca, Casiano H., Jr.
dc.date.accessioned2026-04-07T04:39:28Z
dc.date.available2026-04-07T04:39:28Z
dc.date.issuedJanuary 31, 2026
dc.description.abstractImmunostimulants 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.
dc.identifier.citationQuiazon, K. M. A., Gagelonia, J. D., Padron, A. P. D., Kindipan, C. A., Damian, K. M., Bautista, J. C., Hoggang, C. G. B., Mateo, R. J., Eugenio, P. J. G., Monserate, J. J., Tadeo, F. S., Entoma, A. S., Arevalo, B. J. A., Macaraeg, N. A., & Choresca, C. H. Development and characterization of vitamin C-loaded chitosan/alginate microcapsules for enhanced oral immunostimulation in aquaculture. 21(1), 81-89. https://iieta.org/journals/ijdne/paper/10.18280/ijdne.210108
dc.identifier.issn1755-7437
dc.identifier.issne1755-7445
dc.identifier.urihttps://lakasa.dmmmsu.edu.ph/handle/123456789/1267
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherInternational Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics
dc.rights.licenseCC BY 4.0
dc.sdgSDG 2
dc.sdgSDG 14
dc.sdgSDG 3
dc.sdgSDG 12
dc.subjectAquaculture
dc.subjectVitamin C supplementation
dc.subjectMicroencapsulation
dc.subjectChitosan alginate microcapsules
dc.subjectFish immunostimulation
dc.subjectAquatic animal health
dc.subjectBiotechnology
dc.subject.ddcAquaculture
dc.subject.ddcFish culture
dc.subject.ddcBiotechnology (microencapsulation focus)
dc.subject.lcshAquaculture
dc.subject.lcshFish culture--Nutrition
dc.subject.lcshVitamin C--Therapeutic use
dc.subject.lcshMicroencapsulation
dc.subject.lcshChitosan
dc.subject.lcshAlginates
dc.subject.lcshImmunostimulants
dc.subject.lcshAquatic animals--Diseases--Prevention
dc.titleDevelopment and characterization of vitamin C-loaded chitosan/alginate microcapsules for enhanced oral immunostimulation in aquaculture
dc.typeArticle
local.subject.scientificnameAscorbic acid (Vitamin C)
local.subject.scientificnameChitosan
local.subject.scientificnameSodium alginate
oaire.citation.endPage89
oaire.citation.issue1
oaire.citation.startPage81
oaire.citation.volume21
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