SILICONE-PROTEIN INTERACTION AT THE INTERFACE BETWEEN A FUNCTIONAL SILICONE AND A PROTEIN STARCH MICROPARTICLE/

Silicone-coated starch/protein (human serum albumin, HSA) microparticl es were prepared by precipitation of a starch/HSA/DMSO/water (water-in -oil) emulsion into acetone containing a silicone polymer. Two silicon es (poly(dimethyl- siloxane)) were examined: unfunctionalized (trimeth ylsilyl-terminated, PDMS) or functionalized at the termini with Si(OEt )(3) groups (PDMS-TES 7). Microparticles were not formed in the absenc e of protein. Instead, the phase containing starch separated after agg lomeration. Thus, stabilization/hydrophobization of the starch surface by silicone alone was not possible. However, there is a strong affini ty between the silicone and the protein particularly in the case of th e PDMS-TES and, simultaneously, an affinity between the PDMS-TES and t he starch that leads to a stabilization of the starch surface. This co uld most clearly be seen from immunological data that showed that anti bodies were elicited by protein in the microparticles coated with PDMS -TES following oral administration.