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IntroductionItraconazole is a widely used broad-spectrum antifungal drug on a global scale. However, its poor water solubility necessitates the development of advanced formulations for its effective use. Currently, itraconazole is available commercially in capsule form, with pellets containing the active drug. The extraction of itraconazole from these granules is often required when developing new formulations. Extracting active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from pellets is crucial in ensuring precise and consistent dosing when producing pharmaceutical dosage forms. Surprisingly, no existing methods for extracting itraconazole from pellets have been reported thus far.ObjectiveTherefore, this study aimed to develop and evaluate an efficient method for extracting this API from pellets.MethodsTwo extraction methods were assessed: conventional Soxhlet extraction and ultrasound-assisted extraction.Results and DiscussionThe results demonstrated that ultrasound-assisted extraction significantly outperformed the conventional method, yielding higher amounts of itraconazole with a high purity level of 96.8%.

The interconnectedness between sustainability, sustainable development, sustainable chemistry, and green chemistry is evident in the pursuit of innovative solutions that can balance economic, environmental, and social needs, thereby building a more sustainable future for present and future generations. Although these are topics that have been widely discussed in recent years, there are many controversies regarding the exact definition and scope of these terms. The term “Green Chemistry” was defined with the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry, but in recent years, aspects of environmental and social costs need to be incorporated into the definition. Historically, green chemistry has tended to focus on the process, i.e., how a product is made, rather than the properties of the product. So, we generally talk about a process being green or not. This contribution aims to discuss the parallels, interconnections and differences that exist among the concepts within the realms of “Sustainability”, “Sustainable Development”, “Sustainable Chemistry”, and “Green Chemistry”. Additionally, it discusses how these topics play a crucial role in mitigating environmental impacts, conserving natural resources, generating employment, and promoting safer and more sustainable products and processes.

The treatment of Chagas disease (CD), a neglected parasitic condition caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is still based on only two drugs, nifurtimox (Nif) and benznidazole (Bz), both of which have limited efficacy in the late chronic phase and induce severe side effects. This scenario justifies the continuous search for alternative drugs, and in this context, the natural naphthoquinone β-lapachone (β-Lap) and its derivatives have demonstrated important trypanocidal activities. Unfortunately, the decrease in trypanocidal activity in the blood, high toxicity to mammalian cells and low water solubility of β-Lap limit its systemic administration and, consequently, clinical applications. For this reason, carriers as drug delivery systems can strategically maximize the therapeutic effects of this drug, overcoming the above mentioned restrictions. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to investigate the in vitro anti-T. cruzi effects of β-Lap encapsulated in2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (2HP-β-CD) and its potential toxicity to mammalian cells.