Alginate-Bean Starch Expandable Films Incorporating Capsicum Extract: An Innovative Delivery System for Obesity Management

Gastroretentive expandable films were developed for the control release of capsicum extract for obesity management. Capsicum extract (0.3% w/v, equivalent to 0.03% capsaicin) was incorporated into films composed of different types of bean starch (mung bean, white bean, and red bean starch), sodium alginate, and HPMC K100 using a solvent casting technique, with glycerin as a plasticizer. The optimized formulation (G4), based on mung bean starch, exhibited desirable unfolding and swelling properties and achieved 82.8% capsaicin release over 8 hours in simulated gastric fluid. It also demonstrated a tensile strength of 17.55 ± 0.72 kg/cm2 and an expansion factor of 1.25 ± 0.01. Furthermore, the capsaicin-loaded films showed dose-dependent anti-obesity activity in 3T3-L1 cells. These findings highlight the potential of bean starch-based expandable films as a nutritionally favorable and effective gastroretentive delivery system for capsicum extract in obesity therapy.