With the purpose of offering a panoramic on antimalarial drugs from their emergence until the current situation, an up-to-date review was carried out that includes a brief historical review on the evolution that has experienced the antimalarial treatment from before Christ to date. The introduction of the main drugs in the therapeutic handling of the disease was reflected. The phenomenon of the resistance to the antimalarial drugs as problem to reach the control of this affection was also described, making reference to its definition, classification, factors and mechanisms that intervene, as well as its chronological development and the current world situation concerning to the drug-fast. The main antimalarial drugs currently used with their doses and administration pathways were also shown, and which are the contemporary tendencies that recommend their use. Finally the perspectives that have for the future the antimalarious treatment with the current level of knowledge were related and the last carried out investigations. We concluded that the therapeutic strategies should be based in the existent resistance levels in the different geographical areas, using combinations of antimalarial drugs, mainly those that include some derived of the artemisinin, and if this is not possible at least to use some other combinations rationally according to the resistance level of the region.

Con el propósito de ofrecer una panorámica sobre las drogas antimaláricas desde su surgimiento hasta la situación actual, se realiza una revisión actualizada que incluye una breve reseña histórica sobre la evolución que ha experimentado el tratamiento antipalúdico desde antes de Nuestra Era hasta la fecha actual. Se reflejó la introducción de las principales drogas en el manejo terapéutico de la enfermedad. También se describió el fenómeno de la resistencia a las drogas antimaláricas como problema para alcanzar el control de dicha afección, haciendo referencia a su definición, clasificación, factores y mecanismos que intervienen en la misma, así como su desarrollo cronológico y la situación mundial actual referente a la drogoresistencia. Además se mostraron las principales drogas antimaláricas usadas actualmente con sus dosis y vías de administración, y cuáles son las tendencias contemporáneas que recomiendan su utilización. Finalmente se relacionaron las perspectivas que tiene para el futuro el tratamiento antimalárico acorde con el nivel actual de conocimientos y las últimas investigaciones realizadas. Se concluyó que las estrategias terapéuticas deben fundamentarse en los niveles de resistencia existente en las diferentes zonas geográficas, utilizando combinaciones de drogas antipalúdicas, sobre todo aquellas que incluyan algún derivado del artemisinín, y si esto no es posible al menos usar racionalmente combinaciones de otras acorde al nivel de resistencia de la región.

In order to demonstrate the feasibility of slurry sampling for environmental studies, different methodologies were developed for Cu and Zn in antarctic limpets and Ni in river sediment with FAAS detection. Studies focusing particle size, acid concentration, slurry stability, selectivity, among others were carried out in order to define the better conditions for slurry analysis. A study related to the depth profile for Ni in the Atibaia River sediment was made after optimization conditions for this element. For accuracy check, certified reference material was used as well as decomposition with microwave oven.

A técnica de amostragem de suspensão aliada à espectrometria de absorção atômica com chama foi empregada para a determinação direta de Cu, Fe, Mn e Zn em matrizes de Krill antártico. O efeito dos parâmetros instrumentais e o preparo das suspensões foram estudados em função do sinal analítico. Para a determinação de Cu, Fe e Zn, as amostras foram suspensas em uma solução de HNO3 2,0 mol L-1 e para a determinação de Mn, o krill foi suspenso em uma solução de HNO3 4,0 mol L-1. A precisão entre as replicas foi melhor que 5 %. A metodologia foi aplicada para a determi-nação direta de Cu, Fe, Mn e Zn em amostras de krill antártico, usando padrões aquosos no preparo das curvas analíticas. Os resultados obtidos estão concordantes com os encontrados na determinação por FAAS e ICP-AES, depois da digestão das amostras em um forno de microondas. Os limites de detecção foram 4,5; 1,0; 4,9 e 8,4 mig L-1 para Cu, Zn, Mn e Fe, respectivamente.

Slurry sampling in combination with flame atomic absorption spectrometry was employed for the direct determination of four essential trace elements, namely Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn in Antarctic krill. The effect of instrumental operating conditions and slurry sampling preparation on the analytical signal was investigated. For the determination of Cu, Fe and Zn, samples were suspended in a solution containing 2 mol L-1 HNO3. In the case of Mn, 4 mol L-1 HNO3 was necessary for the preparation of the slurry. The precision between sample replicates was better than 5%. The method was applied to the direct determination of Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn in Antarctic krill samples using aqueous reference solutions to prepare the calibration curves. The results obtained were in good agreement with those achieved by FAAS and ICP-AES after microwave-assisted wet digestion of the krill samples. The detection limits were 4.5, 1.0, 4.9 and 8.4 mug L-1 for Cu, Zn, Mn and Fe, respectively.