Abstract: Genipin-crosslinked silk fibroin (SF)/chitosan (CS) microspheres was prepared by emulsion crosslinking technique.Effect of dosage of CS,SF and genipin on surface morphology,size distribution,swelling ratio and physicochemical property of the microspheres were examined.Results showed that the microspheres which prepared by 1.0 g genipin,CS 0.2 g and SF 0.2 g;0.05 g genipin,CS 0.2 g and SF 0.2 g;0.5 g genipin,CS 0.2 g and SF 0.4 g;0.5 g genipin,CS 0.2 g and SF 0.1 g;0.1 g genipin,CS 0.2 g and SF 0.1 g,are rather regularly spherical and well distributed in shape,and their average diameters are about 71.13,146.60,74.09,89.00 and 109.83 μm,respectively.Characterization from FTIR and XRD results confirmed that genipin causes the crosslinking reaction of the amino groups of SF and CS.Further,genipin could induce structure of the SF from random coil shape or α-helix shape to β-folded sheet shape.

Key words: silk fibroin, chitosan, microspheres, preparation, crosslink