Abstract:

Using magnesium ferrite(MgFe₂O₄)as magnetic substrates, a series of MgFe₂O₄@(TF-LDHs) nanocomposites possessing a core-shell structure with a tegafur(TF) intercalated Zn-Al layered double hydro-xides(LDHs) shell coated onto the surface of magnetic MgFe₂O₄ core was assembled via a one step coprecipitation method. The chemical composition, crystal structure, magnetic property, arrangements of tegafur within interlayer and drug release behavior of the magnetic nanocomposite were investigated systematically. The results show that MgFe₂O₄@(TF-LDHs) nanocomposites have a paramagnetism and the saturation magnetization are enhanced with increasing the magnetic substrates content. Tegafur molecules are arranged as a bilayer with the long axis slightly tilting to the LDHs layers. The release kinetics of tegafur from MgFe₂O₄@(TF-LDHs) nanocomposites was investigated in pH=7.2 and pH=4.8 buffer solutions. It was found that the release process might fit the pseudo-second-order release kinetics and the release mechanism was Fick diffusion. The in vitro drug release from the nanocomposites is remarkably lower than that from the corresponding physical mixture and the release rate reduce gradually with increasing the content of magnetic substrate or under an external magnetic field, showing that the MgFe₂O₄@(drug-LDHs) is a potential magnetic targeting drug delivery-controlled-release system.

Key words: Layered double hydroxide, Tegafur(TF), Nanocomposites, Drug delivery system, Magnetic targeting