This work explores the synthesis, physicochemical characterization, and in vivo biocompatibility of ironbased layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with molar ratio M 2+ /(Fe 3+ + Al 3+ ) equal to 2, Fe 3+ /Al 3+ equal to 1, and chloride anions as charge-compensating ion (abbreviated Mg 4 FeAl-Cl and Zn 4 FeAl-Cl) prepared by the coprecipitation method. The higher structural organization of Zn 4 FeAl-Cl in comparison to Mg 2+ analogous material was noticed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy images. Biocompatibility of LDH was evaluated by intramuscular implantation in rats. Tablets of M 4 FeAl-Cl (M = Mg, Zn) were readily identified macroscopically after 7 and 28 days of implantation, denoting slow dissolution in the internal medium; adjacent to the tablets, blood flow was preserved without tortuosity or pathological dilatations, according to the Sidestream Dark Field Imaging technique. The histological analysis showed no inflammatory response and the presence of angiogenesis and tissue remodeling with the reconstruction of the extracellular matrix and cells around the tablets, besides the induction of collagen type-I formation. Prussian blue histochemical reaction suggested higher solubility of Mg 4 FeAl-Cl in the extracellular matrix compared to zinc LDH. Considering the positive biocompatibility results obtained for M 4 II FeAl-LDH materials, experiments were conducted to intercalate the anti-inflammatory naproxen, as a model drug, into the iron-based LDHs (M 4 II FeAl-NAP). The release profile of NAP in phosphate buffer showed 90% of the drug delivered after about 80 h. However, divalent metal leaching was verified mainly for Mg-LDH (around 50%) when compared to Zn 2+ (around 1%). Iron-based LDHs have great potential for medical and technological applications as local drug delivery biomaterials exhibiting biocompatibility and biointegration properties.

Biocompatibility of layered double hydroxides (LDHs), also known as hydrotalcite-like materials or double metal hydroxides, was investigated by in vivo assays via intramuscular tablets implantation in rat abdominal wall. The tablets were composed by chloride ions intercalated into LDH of magnesium/aluminum (Mg2Al-Cl) and zinc/aluminum (Zn2Al-Cl). The antigenicity and tissue integration capacity of LDHs were assessed histologically after 7 and 28 days post-implantation. No fibrous capsule nearby the LDH was noticed for both materials as well any sign of inflammatory reactions. Sidestream Dark Field imaging, used to monitor in real time the microcirculation in tissues, revealed overall integrity of the microcirculatory network neighboring the tablets, with no blood flow obstruction, bleeding and/or increasing of leukocyte endothelial adhesion. After 28 days Mg2Al-Cl promoted multiple collagen invaginations (mostly collagen type-I) among its fragments while Zn2Al-Cl induced predominantly collagen type–III. This work supports previous results in the literature about LDHs compatibility with living matter, endorsing them as functional materials for biomedical applications.

Layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanocontainers, suitable as carriers for anionic drugs, were intercalated with Pravastatin drug using magnesium–aluminum and zinc–aluminum in a MII/Al molar ratio equal 2 and different Al3+/Pravastatin molar ratios. Postsynthesis treatments were used in order to increase the materials crystallinity. Hybrid materials were characterized by a set of physical chemical techniques: chemical elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), mass coupled thermal analyses, vibrational infrared and Raman spectroscopies, and solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Results were interpreted in light of computational density functional theory (DFT) calculations performed for Sodium Pravastatin in order to assign the data obtained for the LDH intercalated materials. XRD peaks of LDH-Pravastatin material and the one-dimensional (1D) electron density map pointed out to a bilayer arrangement of Pravastatin in the interlayer region, where its associated carboxylate and vicinal hydroxyl groups are close to the positive LDH. The structural organization observed for the stacked assembly containing the unsymmetrical and bulky monoanion Pravastatin and LDH seems to be promoted by a self-assembling process, in which local interactions are maximized and chloride ion cointercalation is required. It is observed a high similarity among vibrational and 13C NMR spectra of Na-Pravastatin and LDH-Pravastatin materials. Those features indicate that the intercalation preserves the drug structural integrity. Spectroscopic techniques corroborate the nature of the guest species and their arrangement between the inorganic layers. Changes related to carboxylate, alcohol, and olefinic moieties are observed in both vibrational Raman and 13C NMR spectra after the drug intercalation. Thus, Pravastatin ions are forced to be arranged as head to tail through intermolecular hydrogen bonding between adjacent organic species. The thermal decomposition profile of the hybrid samples is distinct of that one observed for Na-Pravastatin salt, however, with no visible increase in the thermal behavior when the organic anion is sequestrated within LDH gap.

This paper presents an industrial scale process for extraction, purification, and isolation of epiisopiloturine (EPI) (2(3H)-Furanone,dihydro-3-(hydroxyphenylmethyl)-4-[(1-methyl-1H-imidazol-4-yl)methyl]-, [3S-[3a(R*),4b]]), which is an alkaloid from jaborandi leaves (Pilocarpus microphyllus Stapf). Additionally for the first time a set of structural and spectroscopic techniques were used to characterize this alkaloid. EPI has shown schistomicidal activity against adults and young forms, as well as the reduction of the egg laying adult worms and low toxicity to mammalian cells (in vitro). At first, the extraction of EPI was done with toluene and methylene chloride to obtain a solution that was alkalinized with ammonium carbonate. The remaining solution was treated in sequence by acidification, filtration and alkalinization. These industrial procedures are necessary in order to remove impurities and subsequent application of the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The HPLC was employed also to remove other alkaloids, to obtain EPI purity higher than 98%. The viability of the method was confirmed through HPLC and electrospray mass spectrometry, that yielded a pseudo molecular ion of m/z equal to 287.1 Da. EPI structure was characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in deuterated methanol/chloroform solution, vibrational spectroscopy and mass coupled thermal analyses. EPI molecule presents a parallel alignment of the benzene and the methyl imidazol ring separated by an interplanar spacing of 3.758 Å indicating a π-π bond interaction. The imidazole alkaloid melts at 225°C and decomposes above 230°C under air. EPI structure was used in theoretical Density Functional Theory calculations, considering the single crystal XRD data in order to simulate the NMR, infrared and Raman spectra of the molecule, and performs the signals attribution.

Recebido em 11/12/08; aceito em 1/7/09; publicado na web em 27/11/09 LAYERED DOUBLE HYDROXIDES: INORGANIC NANOPARTICLES FOR STORAGE AND RELEASE OF SPECIES OF BIOLOGICAL AND THERAPEUTIC INTEREST. Studies about the inorganic nanoparticles applying for non-viral release of biological and therapeutic species have been intensified nowadays. This work reviews the preparation strategies and application of layered double hydroxides (LDH) as carriers for storing, carrying and control delivery of intercalated species as drugs and DNA for gene therapy. LDH show low toxicity, biocompatibility, high anion exchange capacity, surface sites for functionalization, and a suitable equilibrium between chemical stability and biodegradability. LDH can increase the intercalated species stability and promote its sub-cellular uptake for biomedical purposes. Concerning the healthy field, LDH have been evaluated for clinical diagnosis as a biosensor component.Keywords: layered double hydroxides; inorganic carriers; drug release. INTRODUÇÃOO desenvolvimento de materiais híbridos é um campo de pesquisa que vem apresentando um desenvolvimento considerável nos últimos anos, devido principalmente ao fato de combinar o conhecimento tradicional com as novas abordagens e as modernas tecnologias. Esse desenvolvimento tem como objetivo atender à crescente demanda por novos materiais multifuncionais, com variadas aplicações em Física, Química, Biologia, Agricultura e Medicina. Particularmente, merece destaque o número de trabalhos que tratam da utilização de nanopartículas como cápsulas de armazenamento ou carregadores de espécies de interesse biológico e terapêutico. 1-3Diversos sistemas para liberação controlada de drogas têm sido engendrados e descritos, com suas vantagens e desvantagens comparadas, podendo ser classificados em quatro grupos principais: carregadores virais, compostos catiônicos orgânicos, proteínas recombinantes e nanopartículas inorgânicas. Exemplos recentes incluem: pontos quânticos (quantum dots) ou nanocompósitos magnético-fluorescentes; 4,5 géis poliméricos; 6,7 nanotubos de carbono ou sílica funcionalizados; 8 cápsulas multilamelares de polieletrólitos; 9 nanopartículas de ouro 10,11 e hidróxidos duplos lamelares (HDL). 12A Figura 1 mostra alguns exemplos de espécies nanoparticuladas de interesse na área médica. Particularmente, a busca por terapias antitumorais novas e racionais, aliadas às técnicas de diagnóstico mais seguras, envolve o planejamento e a obtenção de drogas ou fármacos alvo-específicos, isto é, que tenham alta especificidade para determinada biomolécula ou componente celular, podendo então serem transportados e liberados apenas em sítios escolhidos ou apropriados, aumentando sua eficácia terapêutica e diminuindo seus efeitos colaterais. Uma estratégia criativa é utilizar nanopartículas multifuncionais, capazes de carregar o fármaco e que, adicionalmente, contenham um composto (proteína, anticorpo ou ligante) reconhecido apenas por proteínas ou receptores associados a células tumorais (biomarcadores). Dessa ...

This work deals with the spectroscopic (supported by quantum chemistry calculations), structural, and morphological characterization of mefenamic acid (2-[(2,3-(dimethylphenyl)amino] benzoic acid) polymorphs, known as forms I and II. Polymorph I was obtained by recrystallization in ethanol, while form II was reached by heating form I up to 175 °C, to promote the solid phase transition. Experimental and theoretical vibrational band assignments were performed considering the presence of centrosymmetric dimers. Besides band shifts in the 3345-3310 cm(-1) range, important vibrational modes to distinguish the polymorphs are related to out-of-phase and in-phase N-H bending at 1582 (Raman)/1577 (IR) cm(-1) and 1575 (Raman)/1568 (IR) cm(-1) for forms I and II, respectively. In IR spectra, bands assigned to N-H bending out of plane are observed at 626 and 575 cm(-1) for polymorphs I and II, respectively. Solid-state (13)C NMR spectra pointed out distinct chemical shifts for the dimethylphenyl group: 135.8 to 127.6 ppm (carbon bonded to N) and 139.4 to 143.3 ppm (carbon bonded to methyl group) for forms I and II, respectively.

This work shows the increase of the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive potential of the drug confined into the LDH, as well as, its hemolytic effect.

DFT calculations were applied to evaluate conformational changes of protonated pilocarpine after immobilization into LAPONITE®.