ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Innovative alginate–gum arabic drug delivery system for atenolol: a comparative study of ionotropic and emulsion gelation techniques

Zeynep Aktaş-Erden, Rahime Songür, and Emine Bayraktar

Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Eskişehir Technical University, Eskişehir, Turkey

E-mail: zeynep.aktas@eskisehir.edu.tr

Received: 23 October 2025  Accepted: 28 March 2026

Abstract:

Atenolol is a selective β1-blocker used to treat high blood pressure and chest pain related to heart problems, and it is frequently utilized in high doses, which can lead to adverse effects for patients during the treatment process. This study aims to develop innovative drug delivery systems for atenolol to overcome these disadvantages. For this purpose, ionotropic gelation and emulsion gelation methods were used to prepare drug carrier materials containing alginate (ALG), gum arabic (GA), and light oils, such as coconut oil (CO) and mineral oil (MO). The encapsulation efficiency for the ionotropic gelation method was obtained as 65.16% with 3% (w/v) GA, 3% (w/v) ALG, and 10% (w/v) CaCl₂. The release studies were performed in the simulated gastric fluid, followed by the simulated intestinal fluid. The same formulation exhibited the most controlled release behaviour, showing a cumulative release of 25.25% in simulated gastric fluid and a total release of 35.91%. In the emulsion gelation method, the highest encapsulation efficiency was achieved as 80.13% for the formulation containing 3% (w/v) GA, 3% (w/v) ALG, and 10% (w/v) CaCl₂ and 15% (v/v) MO. The release of 85.21% the simulated gastric fluid and 95.39% overall release were obtained. Therefore, it is important to consider the potential for the developed drug delivery system to be applied to other drugs.

Graphical abstract

Keywords: Controlled drug delivery; Gastro retentive drugs; Ionotropic gelation; Emulsion gelation; Atenolol; β-blockers

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-026-04854-x

Chemical Papers 80 (7) 7775–7790 (2026)