Encapsulation is the process of confining active compounds
within a matrix in particulate form to achieve certain desirable
effects, such as immobilization or isolation, protection or stabilization,
controlled-release, and alteration of physical properties
(Chan, Lee, Ravindra, & Poncelet, 2009). Alginate is probably the
most widely used material for bioencapsulation. It is a natural
polysaccharide derived from marine plants, and its basic structure
consists of linear unbranched polymers containing-(1→4)-linked
d-mannuronic acid (M) and -(1→4)-linked l-guluronic acid (G)
residues. Alginate forms a thermally stable and biocompatible
hydrogel in the presence of di- or tri-cations. In addition, alginate
beads can be easily produced by dropping an alginate solution in
a calcium chloride bath. Alginate has been used in many encapsulation
applications, including various fields, such as biomedical,
bioprocess, pharmaceutical, food and feed. Examples of encapsulated
compounds using alginate are microbial cells, herbal
bioactives, and drugs, among others (Chan, Yim,Mansa,&Ravindra