ALGPODES were prepared following the classical heating and stirring method, considering the chemical similarities between the alginate monomers and glucose (that readily forms NADES ). It is important to state that the process results in the formation of a new phase (rather than a simple mixture of the components ) supported by hydrogenbonding and that is preserved even after dilution. For this purpose, the components were placed in a 20 mL, capped transparent vial, and heated at 60°C during 3 hr with constant stirring (350 rpm). Preliminary experiments explored the suitability of several components and molar ratios to form stable ALGPODES (that remained as a clear liquid at room temperature for at least one week), allowing the selection of a mixture composed of glycerol:alginate:water (5:1:15 molar ratio), as the optimum system. To lower its viscosity and facilitate the extrusion process, the ALGPODES (at room temperature) was first diluted with water (1:1 w/w). Next, the ALGPODES was mixed with a solution containing the selected enzymes and chromogenic agents in a proportion of 1:1 (w/w), leading to a system containing a final concentration of 5% ALG. Control beads were developed using the same procedure but from stock solutions containing either 2% or 10% ALG, which were mixed with a solution containing the selected enzymes and chromogenic agents in a proportion of 1:1 (w/v), leading to extrusion solutions containing 1% ALG or 5% ALG, respectively. These solutions were used to prepare beads via the extrusion-dripping method, from a syringe fitted with a 21G needle (BD PrecisionGlide) and into a glass vial containing 5 mL of a solution of 0.1 M CaCl2 under gentle stirring (300 rpm). The obtained beads were left in the CaCl2 solution for 10 min to complete the cross-linking process, rinsed several times with distilled water to remove any excess of CaCl2 from their surface, strained (to remove any excess of water), and stored in a glass vial until use.