Micelles have aroused interest due to their ability to assist in the transport of poorly soluble drugs. In this study the mixture of copolymers F127/E45S8 in different proportions (F/ES 30/70, 50/50 and 70/30) was performed to improve the bioavailability of griseofulvin and quercetin. The results of cytotoxicity (MTT assay) revealed that the copolymers F127 and E45S8 had considerable biocompatibility and did not affect the metabolism of human neutrophils. The binary systems were also evaluated by critical micellar concentration (CMC) and thermoresponsive behavior. The CMC values were intermediate to those of the isolated copolymers. The systems maintained the thermoresponsive properties present in F127 making the systems interesting for subcutaneous administration. The systems presented small size, an average range in size from 17 to 38 nm, and the samples prepared with higher hydrophobic proportion presented more uniform sizes. Results suggest stability and the increasing of the nanosystems circulation time. The F/ES 30/70 system has polydispersity smaller than 0.1 and showed an increase of 129 times for quercetin solubility. Thus, it is possible to consider F127/E45S8 micelles as potential nanosystems for poorly soluble drug delivery.

Improving the development of modified release matrix systems strictly depends on selecting an appropriate agent capable of controlling the drug's release. In this study, Adenanthera pavonina galactomannan was investigated as a potential basis for developing a controlled release of rutin. This galactomannan was extracted, purified and characterized by GPC, NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy. The mannose/galactose ratio (M/G) of 1.46 was calculated by the relative area from signals of the anomeric region of 1H-NMR spectrum. The main chain of this galactomannan consists of β(1®4)-D-mannose and α(1®6)-D-galactose linked units (1H-decoupled 13C NMR, 13C DEPT 135º NMR and HSQC spectra). The sustained-release tablets containing rutin and galactomannan were compared with the extensively investigated hydrophilic matrix HPMC. Drug release analysis revealed similar release mechanism for both matrices. A new formulation for controlled drug delivery from water-swellable matrix systems is proposed.

Complexos do tipo trans-[Ru(L)(NH3)4(L’)](PF6)n, onde L = 4-cianopiridina (CNpy), NCS-, CN-, e L’ = CNpy, 1,4-ditiano (1,4-dt), 4-mercaptopiridina (pyS) e tionicotinamida (tna), foram sintetizados e caracterizados. SAMs sobre ouro formadas com os complexos que contêm ligantes sulfurados foram estudadas por desorção redutiva e espectroscopia SERS. Dependendo da natureza do ligante L’, a capacidade retiradora do ligante CNpy mostrou ser forte o suficiente para oxidar parcialmente o átomo de rutênio e, em consequência, deslocalizar densidade eletrônica s do ligante localizado em posição trans. Os resultados de desorção redutiva mostraram que a estabilidade das SAMs formadas está diretamente relacionada a este efeito.

Trans-[Ru(L)(NH3)4(L’)](PF6)n type complexes, where L = 4-cyanopyridine (CNpy), NCS-, CN-, and L’ = CNpy, 1,4-dithiane (1,4-dt), 4-mercaptopyridine (pyS) and thionicotinamide (tna), were synthesized and characterized. SAMs on gold of the complexes containing sulfur were studied by reductive desorption and SERS spectroscopy. Depending on the nature of L’, the withdrawing capability of the CNpy ligand is strong enough to partially oxidize the ruthenium atom and, as a consequence, delocalize the s electronic density from the trans located ligand. The reductive desorption results showed that the stability of the SAMs is directly related to this effect.

O composto 5-(4-pyridinyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiol (Hpyt) adsorve espontaneamente sobre ouro formando SAMs ("Self-Assembled Monolayers") que, de acordo com os resultados eletroquímicos e de STM ("Scanning Tunneling Microscopy"), contêm poros através dos quais as moléculas dos complexos [Fe(CN)6]4- e [Ru(NH3)6]3+ acessam a superfície livre de modificação. Para o complexo [Fe(CN)6]4-, a dependência da corrente faradáica com o pH da solução eletrolítica permitiu o cálculo do pKa da molécula de Hpyt adsorvida sobre ouro (4,2). Os parâmetros termodinâmicos, DHads and DGads, para o processo de adsorção desta molécula foram estimados em -20,01 e -39,39 kJ mol-1, respectivamente, utilizando-se o modelo de Langmuir. O processo redox da metaloproteína citocromo c foi estudado utilizando-se a SAM de Hpyt. A constante de velocidade heterogênea de transferência de elétrons foi calculada em 2,29 × 10-3 cm s-1.

5-(4-pyridinyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiol (Hpyt) spontaneously adsorbs on gold forming SAMs (self-assembled monolayers) that, based on STM (Scanning Tunneling Microscopy) and electrochemical data, contain pinholes through which [Fe(CN)6]4- and [Ru(NH3)6]3+ probe molecules access the underlying gold electrode. For the former molecule, the dependence of the faradaic current on the electrolyte solution pH value allowed the evaluation of the surface pKa as 4.2. The thermodynamic parameters DHads and DGads for the Hpyt adsorption process could be described by the Langmuir model and were calculated as -20.01 and -39.39 kJ mol-1, respectively. Electrodic redox reaction of cytochrome c metalloprotein was accessed by using the Hpyt SAM with a heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant of 2.29 × 10-3 cm s-1.

O processo redox da metaloproteína cyt c foi observado através da utilização de eletrodos de ouro modificados com os complexos [Ru(CNPy)(NH3)4(1,4-dt)]2+ e [Ru(CNPy)(NH3)4(pyS)]2+ , onde CNPy = 4-cianopiridina, pyS = 4-mercaptopiridina e 1,4-dt = ditiano. Os valores dos potenciais redox observados indicam a forma in natura da proteína. A forma dos voltamogramas, todavia, é dependente da conformação do complexo modificador sobre a superfície que, por sua vez, foi determinada por SERS. Os potenciais de dessorção redutiva, observados em -0,52 e -0,64 V vs Ag|AgCl|Cl- para os complexos [Ru(CNPy)(NH3)4(1,4-dt)]2+ e [Ru(CNPy)(NH3)4(pyS)]2+ , respectivamente, são indicativos do tipo de ligação com a superfície e da capacidade pi retiradora do ligante CNpy.

The redox process of the cyt c metalloprotein was assessed by the cationic SAMs formed with [Ru(CNPy)(NH3)4(1,4-dt)]2+ and [Ru(CNPy)(NH3)4(pyS)]2+ complexes on gold, where CNPy = 4-cyanopyridine, pyS = 4-mercaptopyridine and 1,4-dt = dithiane. The observed cyt c redox potentials are indicative of the native protein form. The voltammograms, however, were observed to be affected by the conformation of the modifiers, determined by SERS spectroscopy. The [Ru(CNPy)(NH3)4(pyS)]2+ complex, which exhibits trans conformation on the surface, presented a well-defined voltammogram. On the other hand, the gauche conformation of the [Ru(CNPy)(NH3)4(1,4-dt)]2+ SAM seems to make the assessment of the cyt c hET reaction difficult. The reductive desorption potentials, at -0.52 and -0.64 V vs Ag|AgCl|Cl- for the [Ru(CNPy)(NH3)4(1,4-dt)]2+ and [Ru(CNPy)(NH3)4(pyS)]2+ SAMs, respectively, are indicative of the bonding mode with the surface and the pi withdrawing capability of the CNpy ligand.