Effectiveness of home pharmaceutical interventions in metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a group of different risk factors that raises the chances of develop several health problems such, as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. There are few cases in literature of studies that specifically address the use of pharmaceutical care in MetS. The aim of study was to evaluate the effectiveness of home pharmaceutical interventions in patients with this syndrome. The randomized clinical trial was conducted in subjects with diagnosis of MetS treated in a basic unit of health from Cuité, Paraíba. The patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to two groups: intervention (IG) and control (CG). The IG received monthly individual pharmaceutical interventions, while the CG did not. The effectiveness of the intervention protocol was measured after six months, comparing the hemodynamic values, anthropometric, biochemistry, cardiovascular risk, medication adherence, drug related problems (DRP) and quality of life. The sample consisted of 63 individuals (33 IG and 30 CG) and older than 60 years. The majority of pharmaceutical interventions were educational and/or behavioral. In the intervention group, significant differences were observed in the parameters systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, medication adherence and DRP. The pharmaceutical interventions at home were effective in improving medication adherence, decreasing DRPs and helping to control components of the metabolic syndrome

Desenvolvimento de micropartículas de goma do cajueiro pela técnica de reticulação polimérica interfacial / Development of cashew gum microparticles by the interfacial polymeric harness technique

O desenvolvimento de novos sistemas de liberação de fármacos vem crescendo concomitantemente com o avanço da tecnologia e são de suma importância para obter um efeito terapêutico de uma maneira eficiente. Entre estes sistemas encontram-se as micropartículas que apresentam granulometria micrométricas (1-1000 µm). A microencapsulação compreende conjunto de técnicas a qual possibilita que o fármaco seja encapsulado com diversos tipos de polímeros e dessa forma ofereçam uma série de vantagens tais como: proteção do material encapsulado frente à presença de umidade e oxigênio, capacidade de minimizar efeitos adversos, possibilidade de mascarar características organolépticas desagradáveis e capacidade de modular as taxas de liberação do fármaco. A goma de cajueiro é um heteropolissacarídeo complexo exsudado de árvores de cajueiro (Anacardium occidentale L.), o nordeste, mais precisamente o estado da Paraíba, apresenta grande potencial em plantação do cajueiro e desta forma apresenta-se como uma potencial alternativa de renda para pequenos agricultores em períodos de entre safra. A goma de cajueiro apresenta características físico-químicas que podem ser úteis na obtenção de novos insumos farmacêuticos e formas farmacêuticas. Dessa forma, esse trabalho teve como objetivo desenvolver micropartículas a base da goma de cajueiro através do método de reticulação polimérica interfacial usando o trimetafosfato de sódio como agente reticulante. Através desse método foram produzidas micropartículas com a forma predominantemente esféricas e bem distribuídas individualmente. Na caracterização dessas micropartículas foram utilizados parâmetros como pH, granulometria, estabilidade e velocidade de agitação. Este trabalho comprovou que é possível produzir micropartículas da goma de cajueiro através do método descrito. 

Xylan from corn cobs, a promising polymer for drug delivery: Production and characterization

Although many authors have reported several beneficial effects ascribed to xylan, such as inhibitory action on mutagenicity activity. antiphlogistic effects, and mitogenic and comitogenic activities, few papers have investigated a systematic study on the technological properties of this polymer. The aim of the present work was to evaluate xylan as a promise raw material for the pharmaceutical industry. The water-insoluble xylan samples were extracted from corn cobs following several steps. The obtained powered sample was analyzed by infrared and RMN spectroscopy, and characterized regarding their particle size, bulk and tap densities, compressibility index, compactability, Hausner ratio, and angle of repose. According to the results, infrared and RMN spectroscopy were shown to be able to evaluate the xylan structural conformation and composition, respectively. In addition, rheological data demonstrated that xylan powder obtained from corn cobs may be characterized as a material with low density and very cohesive flow properties. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

Leads from Physical, Chemical, and Thermal Characterization on Cytotoxic Effects of Xylan-Based Microparticles

Interfacial cross-linking (ICL) has been considered a feasible technique to produce polysaccharide-based microparticles (PbMs), even though only a few studies have been concerned with their biocompatibility. In this work, PbMs were prepared by the ICL method and characterized in regard to their in vitro biocompatibility, chemical linkages, and physical and thermal properties. First, the cell viability assay revealed that PbMs toxicity was concentration-dependent. Then, it was observed that the toxicity may be related to the way in which the binding occurred, and not exclusively to the stoichiometry between the polymer and the cross-linking agent. Moreover, the PbMs biosafety was predicted by the use of physicochemical procedures, which were able to identify unbound cross-linking agent residues and also to reveal the improvement of their thermal stability. Accordingly, this work suggests a step-by-step physicochemical procedure able to predict potential toxicity from micro-structured devices produced by polysaccharides. Likewise, the use of PbMs as a drug carrier should be cautiously considered