Kefir-carrageenan hydrogel beads: optimization of swelling, swelling and release kinetics

Tös Ş., KILIÇ D., DOĞAN AYDENİZ Ö.

Colloid and Polymer Science, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s00396-026-05646-1
  • Dergi Adı: Colloid and Polymer Science
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Compendex, EMBASE, INSPEC, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Engineering Source (EBSCO), Materials Science & Engineering Collection (ProQuest), Technology Collection (ProQuest)
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Carrageenan, Hydrogel, Kefir, Kinetics, Optimization, Swelling
  • Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

In this study, κ-carrageenan-based hydrogel beads doped with kefir biomass were synthesized and characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A Box-Behnken experimental design was employed to evaluate the effects of the kefir biomass ratio, cross-linker (KCl) concentration, and medium pH on the swelling capacity of the beads. ANOVA results demonstrated that the cross-linker concentration and the interactions between these factors significantly influenced the swelling behavior. Under optimized conditions (15% kefir biomass, 0.5 M KCl, and pH 5.2), a maximum swelling degree of 32.03 gsolution/gbeads was achieved. Furthermore, the beads were loaded with a red food dye as a model drug to investigate their release behavior. Kinetic studies revealed that the swelling process follows a pseudo-first-order model, while the release of the model drug aligns with the Ritger-Peppas mechanism.