The aim of this study was to fabricate calcium pectinate from pomelo into microparticles by ionotropic gelation. The effect of concentrations of pectin extracted from pomelo peels on size and drug dissolution from calcium pectinate microparticles was investigated and characterized by powder X-ray diffractometry. Ibuprofen was used as a model drug. Smooth surface and spherical microparticles of calcium pectinate was observed by scanning electron microscopy. Average particle size of calcium pectinate microparticles was about 2-5 µm. An increase in pomelo pectin increased the particle size of the microparticles. An amorphous form of the microparticles with a crystalline form of the drug was obtained. Drug dissolution from the microparticles differed from intact ibuprofen. It leads to conclude that ibuprofen could be encapsulated in the microparticles fabricated from calcium pectinate from pomelo pectin using ionotropic gelation.
