Intercalation of salicylic acid into ZnAl and MgAl layered double hydroxides for a controlled release formulation

Salicylic acid was intercalated into an inorganic host consisting of ZnAl/MgAl-layered double hydroxides lamella by reconstruction method. Powder X-ray diffractograms showed that the basal spacing of the layered double hydroxide bearing salicylate as the intergallery anion expanded from 7.6 and 7.8 Å in the precursors to 14.49 Å and 14.85 in ZnAl and MgAl layered double hydroxide, respectively. These values suggest that the organic molecules form bilayers in the interlayer space. Fourier transform infrared study further confirmed intercalation of salicylate into the interlayer’s of the layered double hydroxides. The thermal stability of the intercalated salicylic acid is significantly enhanced compared with the pure form before intercalation. Using the XRD results combined with a molecular simulation model, a possible representation of the salicylate anion positioning between the lamellar layers has been proposed. The in vitro drug release from intercalated material was remarkably lower than that from the corresponding physical mixture at pH 7.5. The kinetic analysis showed the importance of the diffusion through the particle in controlling the drug release rate. The obtained results show that hydrotalcite may be used to prepare modified release formulations.