Zeolite, cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP) and maize starch were used as the coating materials for encapsulating pancreatic protease, which was proposed as an additive to enhance the food efficiency and growth rate of weanling pigs. In this study, microcapsules were formed by the process of coacervation in liquid paraffin media, where the deposition time was in the range of 20 to 60 min, and the concentrations of CAP, zeolite and maize starch were 20, 40 and 120 g/kg respectively. Hardening by n-hexane was achieved with 15 min of stirring. Microcapsules generated by this method were 20 to 30 mesh in diameter. They were stable for at least 3 h in simulated gastric conditions (pH 3·97), but disintegrated rapidly under simulated intestinal conditions (pH 6·82).
