Abstract
The current study explores the properties of starch and non-starch polysaccharides based bigels containing sunflower oil and their application in controlled delivery of metronidazole and probiotics. The bigels were prepared by mixing span-40 and sunflower oil organogels with the aqueous polysaccharide sol. The microstructure of the bigels was characterized by fluorescent microscope. The bigels were then characterized for their mechanical properties using texture analysis. The flow behavior of the gels was studied using rheometer. The micrographs suggested uniform distribution of the organogels in the continuous aqueous phase. The bigels were viscoelastic in nature with a shear thinning behavior. The release of metronidazole from the bigels was diffusion mediated. These bigels showed good antimicrobial efficacy. The probiotics encapsulated within the bigels were tolerant to gastric and intestinal environment compared to the free cells. The preliminary studies suggest that the developed bigels can be used effectively for the delivery of poorly soluble drugs and probiotics.