Use of pseudoboehmite treated with sodium polyacrylate in simvastatin release

Pseudoboehmite is a material obtained by sol-gel process having high purity nanoparticles and large contact surface. It has a boehmite-like structure having a greater interplanar spacing due to the presence of more water than in boehmite structure. One of the problems of the nanoparticles is the agglomeration of them. Several studies in the literature cite the use of pseudoboehmites in the controlled release of drugs, including cancer treatment1,2,3. Simvastatin is a well-known anti-cholesterol drug that is commercially available in Brazil in different dosages including Simvastatin Tablets, with 10, 20 and 40 mg. Simvastatin is a drug, which is used for treating patients with hypercholesterolemia, in order to prevent atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Today cardiovascular disease is still the leading cause of death worldwide. It should also be noted that the treatment of cardiovascular diseases was responsible for just over a third of Brazilian federal government expenses between the years 2013 and 2016 in the purchase of medicines for the population. However, the side effects of simvastatin include muscle pain and liver problems. When diet and exercise are not enough to reduce cholesterol levels, drugs as simvastatin are the medication prescribed. This paper presents pseudoboehmite nanoparticles synthesized via sol-gel process treated with sodium polyacrylate with the purpose of avoid agglomeration of the particles. The pseudoboehmite were synthesized by sol–gel method using aluminum nitrate and ammonium hydroxide. The pseudoboehmite with simvastatin entrapped was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) using secondary electrons detector and EDS detector, thermal analysis (thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis), zeta potential and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The data shows that the simvastatin was incorporated homogenously in the pseudoboehmite and the sodium polyacrylate promoted the deagglomeration of the pseudoboehmite particles.