Physical properties of zein films containing salicylic acid and acetyl salicylic acid

Zein films containing salicylic acid (SA) and acetyl salicylic acid (ASA) between 2 and 10% (initial zein weight basis) with or without glycerol were evaluated for structure, mechanical and dissolution properties. The random coils, α helices and β sheets mainly governed the secondary structure of zein, depending on glycerol and level of model molecules. Adding ASA resulted in an increase in α helices whereas β sheets increased at the expense of α helices when SA was used. Including SA or ASA decreased the tensile strength and the stiffness of films containing glycerol indicating the synergistic effect of SA and ASA. The strain at failure decreased with increasing content of SA but increased with increasing level of ASA. The dissolution properties were glycerol and drug dependent. ASA release in comparison to SA was quite low. The release was only observed above 10% ASA whereas it was detected in all films containing SA. The possible interactions between active components and proteins are discussed together with their implications on the physical properties of zein films.