Few researches are directed at drug delivery systems for b-lapachone (b-lap), a powerful anticancer agent but with limited pharmaceutical use. To overcome its limitations, we investigated controlled delivery systems of b-lap in simulated gastric fluids in vitro from chitosan (CS) and alginate (AL) hydrogel beads with purpose for oral administration. The AL-CS hydrogel beads were formed by coacervation and were characterized by morphology, swelling ratio, and their physicochemical properties. The hydrogel beads, with sizes of roughly 1 mm, presented good stability, and low porosity. The in vitro drug release profile was in good agreement with kinetics profiles and the Fickian model indicating diffusion as the release mechanism, with low burst effect, especially in an acid medium and allowing a prolonged release of $ 72 h (pH 1.2; k 2 ¼ 0.19 6 0.04) and (pH 7.4; k 2 ¼ 0.20 6 0.01). The beads were resistant to the acid medium and may be an alternative for b-lap therapy of colorectal cancer. V C 2012Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 126: E408-E417, 2012