Abstract Cashew gum is extracted from the exudate of the giant cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale L.). The objective of this work was to study the extraction and purification of cashew gum through experiments to characterize its structures and physicochemical and thermal properties, and to evaluate its use as a pharmaceutical excipient. The characterization of the materials was performed by infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and rheological studies of powder. Analysis of the material showed that it has reasonable flow characteristics and compressibility, allowing the use as diluent of tablets. Tablets were produced with a cashew gum isolated and purified by the direct compression method, and it was shown that the tablets produced with the purified cashew gum obtained better mechanical properties (hardness and friability) and less disintegration time than tablets made with gum of cashew isolated, suggesting the use of purified cashew gum as a diluent for this type of pharmaceutical form.

A comercialização dos explosivos emulsionáveis, aí incluída a dinamite de ANFO, acarretou um aumento significativo no consumo mundial de explosivos entre 1960 e 1980, conseqüência da maior segurança no transporte e no preparo dos explosivos na forma de uma emulsão. Os surfatantes utilizados nestas emulsões são ésteres, amidas ou imidas derivadas do poliisobutileno com terminações de anidrido succínico (PIBSA). Neste trabalho, surfatantes derivados da reação do PIBSA com polioxietilenodiaminas foram sintetizados e caracterizados pelas técnicas de espectrometria no infravermelho e de cromatografia de exclusão de tamanho. Os surfatantes sintetizados foram avaliados quanto ao efeito das suas estruturas na redução da tensão interfacial do sistema água em óleo e todos foram capazes de reduzir a tensão interfacial deste sistema.

The commercialization of explosives in emulsions, including the ANFO dynamite, caused a significant increase in global consumption between 1960 and 1980, due to an increase in transportation and manufacture safety. The surfactants used in these emulsions are esters, amides or imides, derived from polyisobutylene with succinic anhydride terminal groups (PIBSA). In this work, surfactants derived from the reaction of PIBSA with polyoxyethylenodiamines were synthesized and characterized by infrared spectrometry and by Gel Permeation Chromatography. The synthesized surfactants have been evaluated as to the effect of its structures in reducing the interfacial tension of water in oil emulsions and all were able to reduce the interfacial tension of this system.

The discharge of oily wastewaters in the environment is steadily increasing, causing serious damages. Among various treatment methods, adsorption is generally considered the most appropriate, since it can remove both organic and inorganic pollutants. Adsorption using low-cost alternative biopolymers for removal of contaminants from wastewater has been widely investigated. In this context, chitosan has been drawing particular attention because, among its many applications, it can be used in the treatment of aqueous effluents. In this study, microspheres were prepared by reticulation of chitosan with sodium triphosphate (STP) and studied for the treatment of water containing crude oil. The microspheres were regular and had surface pores. These microspheres were packed in treatment columns and their ability to remove oil was measured with a fluorometer, by the difference in the oil concentration before and after passing through the column. The microspheres that presented porosity about 80 % were highly efficient in oil removal, with rates above 90%.

Sulfasalazine is a prodrug used in the treatment of the Chron's disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Two analytical methods for analysis of sulfasalazine in oral suspension were validated using Spectrophotometric and HPLC. There is not any pharmacopoeic method to assay sulfasalazine in oral suspension. The methods are insurance and fast execution for the quality control. Both, suspension and tablets 500 mg (Azulfin®) had been analyzed by methods using UV/VIS and HPLC and the results were satisfactory.