Alginate, a natural polymer
obtained from bacteria and algae, is widely used for microencapsulation
in several fields, namely in food industry (Goh, Heng, & Chan,
2012). This polymer is classified as non-toxic for oral administration,
and is usually commercialized in its salt form (e.g. sodium
alginate). In the presence of bivalent cations (e.g. Ca2+) it gels, giving
rise to a material that resists acidic pH and dissolves at basic
medium (disruption of the ionic network). In this way the release
of the encapsulated compounds will occur in the intestinal tract