Drug release from layered double hydroxides and from their polylactic acid (PLA) nanocomposites

Layered double hydroxides (LDH) with intercalated diclofenac, chloramphenicol and ketoprofen have been supported and dispersed in semicrystalline polylactic acid (PLA). The solids have been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Drug release from the systems prepared was followed by UV–vis spectroscopy. Release is almost complete after 24 h for ketoprofen from the drug-LDH systems, but lower values were measured for the other drugs (60 and 80%, respectively, for diclofenac and chloramphenicol); however, when supported on PLA the release was much slower and could be related to the degradation of the polymer.

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► Drug release from layered double hydroxides (LDHs) is studied.
► Release from LDH-drug nanocomposites with polylactic acid is studied.
► Almost total release from the LDHs is reached after 24 h.
► Release from the nanocomposites is not complete even after 3 months.