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Native Amazon palm trees have been target of research and product development especially because of their oil and fat. Tucumã-do-Pará (Astrocaryum vulgare) is a palm tree from which is possible to extract fruit seed fat. This article studied its physico-chemical characterization and analyzed its feasibility of use as raw material for nanostructured lipid nanoparticle (NLC) in pharmaceuticals. Through acidity, refraction and iodine indexes it was possible to determine that the fat has good quality and is in accordance with the literature. Ultraviolet spectrum scanning did not show peaks in region of dienes and trienes, compounds which appear when fat is decomposing. Infrared spectra and nuclear magnetic resonance determined spectral identity of the fat, confirming it is composed mainly by saturated groups. Fatty acid profile by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometer evidenced components in greater quantity: lauric and myristic acids in saturated part and oleic acid in unsaturated part. These acids have pharmacotechnical importance as permeation agents of active substances. Tucumã fat has thermal stability up to 350 °C and melting point of 35 °C. To reach nanostructured lipid carriers preparation it was necessary to increase its melting point by mixing it with carnauba wax. Through X-ray diffraction in crystallized tucumã fat/carnauba wax mixture it was possible to identify stable β′-form which is the ideal form for production of stable nanostructured lipid carriers. From this lipidic mixture of tucumã fat/carnauba wax in 1:1 ratio, 9 formulations of nanostructures lipid carriers were prepared, from which 3 formulations were distinguished by their excelente particle size and polydispersity index values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum Schum.) is a typical Amazonian fruit, whose seed is used as raw material to produce cupulate. The by-product of its seeds, cupuassu seed by-product (CSB), is often discarded by the cosmetic and food industry, but studies showed that it has a high content of phenolic compounds with exploitable antioxidant activity. This study aimed to identify the classes of chemical compounds present in the extract of CSB by HPTLC, to confirm them by RMN 1H spectroscopy and to analyze the extract thermal analytical behavior in different processing stages. After elution of the extract in an isocratic system, TLC plates were developed with selective reagents for several classes of chemical compounds and antioxidant activity by the DPPH· method. Butter, CSB and crude extract presented mass losses characteristic of lipid decomposition reactions (92.63, 14.80, and 15.42%, respectively). Thermal degradation of bioactive and nutritional compounds (mainly polyunsaturated fatty acids) present in both CSB and crude extract has occurred at temperatures above 189 °C. Microencapsulation of the CBS extract by spray drying (MECoC) using maltodextrin as coating agent was shown to effectively protect the phenolic compounds. RMN 1H spectra confirmed HPTLC and FTIR results, which allowed us to conclude that the crude extract of the cupuassu by-product was mainly composed of terpenes, steroids and phenolic compounds, mainly flavonoids. These analytical techniques have proven to be effective tools for assessing the bioactive compounds incorporation into the polymeric matrix expected in the pre-formulation stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of chitosan (CS) and albendazole (ABZ) were performed in the presence (BW1 BW2 and BW3) and absence (B1, B2 and B3) of water to evaluate CS/ABZ interactions in synthesis and solubility through solvation effect of nanoencapsulated ABZ. Molecular chemical reactivity was investigated through DFT-based reactivity descriptors, electrophilicity (ɷ), chemical potential (μ) and chemical hardness (η) as well as values of boundary molecular orbitals HOMO and LUMO that revealed interactions of the amino and hydroxyl groups of CS with groups of nitrogen, sulfur and ABZ ester bond. MD showed BW1 and BW2 with best Radial Distribution (RDF) profiles in aqueous medium as well as solvation energy indicating spontaneous formation of BW1 and BW2 nanoparticles. MD simulations demonstrate CS as a carrier capable of spontaneously encapsulating hydrophobic ABZ molecules in water-containing environments. Thus, a new perspective was presented for planning and design of controlled drug delivery systems with low solubility through MD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) and its by-products are widely used by the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries because they contain secondary metabolites with high levels of antioxidants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the thermal profile of cocoa by-products extract and its microparticles, obtained by spray drying to preserve its biological activity. The thermal analyses showed that the events of greater mass loss occurred in the temperature range of 407-455 °C (oil), 370-429 °C (cocoa waste), 175-302 °C (cocoa extract), 299-314 °C (microparticles) and 239-329 °C (microencapsulated extract). Through differential scanning calorimetry analysis, it was possible to detect a positive effect on microencapsulation of the extract, an increase in the stability of the active principles and similar bands both for the spectra of the extract and microparticles. The extract obtained, despite being derived from the solid residue (waste), showed high values of polyphenols content and antioxidant activity. These results suggest that the spray drying technology employed for encapsulation of the active principles was also effective for their preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]