Refining nanotechnology to enhance absorption of meds, probiotics
July 30, 2025
By Todd Price
University of Arkansas
Fast facts
- Micron-sized beads encapsulate bioactive compounds
- Controlled-release system delivers meds, probiotics to ideal location
- Nanotechnology developed to resist acidic environments
(391 words)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Controlled-release systems deliver medication and other bioactive compounds to the ideal spot inside a body and over a specific time. New research from the University of Arkansas and the UA System Division of Agriculture could improve these systems used for probiotics that boost gut health, drugs that target cancer cells and other medications for human and animal health using nanotechnology.
The researchers combined two organic materials, cellulose nanocrystals derived from wood pulp and alginate from brown algae, to create strong beads that encapsulate bioactive compounds. The micron-sized beads, 1/100th the size of the finest grain of beach sand, tighten in an acidic environment like the stomach, protecting the bioactive compound from both acid and the digestive enzymes. The beads swell in an alkaline, or basic, environment like the intestines, releasing the bioactive compound and then harmlessly dissolving.
The beads were created using electrohydrodynamic extrusion, which had not previously been used for a composite of cellulose nanocrystals and alginate. The electrohydrodynamic process provides more control over the size and shape of the beads, two issues with other approaches to producing controlled-release systems.
The findings were published in a recent issue of the journal Carbohydrate Polymers. The senior author was Jin-Woo Kim, Distinguished Professor of biological and agricultural engineering for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the Division of Agriculture. He is also a professor of materials science and engineering in the College of Engineering.
The new controlled-release system could be particularly effective at delivering probiotics to the gut, where they can aid digestion and boost the immune system.
“Probiotics are sensitive to acid. Most will die in the stomach,” Kim said.
Kim received a grant from the Arkansas Research Alliance to use the new controlled-release system to add probiotics into animal feed, reducing the need for antibiotics and lowering farming costs. Kim’s industry partner on the ARA grant is CelluDot, a startup headquartered at the Arkansas Research and Technology Park.
CelluDot’s founder and CEO, Joseph Batta-Mpouma, is the first author on the controlled-release paper. The other authors are Gurshagan Kandhola, chief technology officer of CelluDot; Jaspreet Kaur, program assistant for the department of food science; Kayla Foley, a post-doctoral researcher in chemical engineering; and Keisha Bishop Walters, professor of chemical engineering. Nalinikanth Kotagiri from University of Cincinnati’s James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy was also an author.
To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three system campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
About the University of Arkansas
As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive
education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes
more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development,
discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for
professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the
few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of
A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.
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Media Contact: John Lovett
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station
(479) 763-5929
jlovett@uada.edu