Quinine, a treatment used in chloroquine-resistant falciparum malaria, was loaded into poly(ɛ-caprolactone) or Eudragit RS100 nanocapsules using Curcuma oil as the oil-based core. Until now, the effect of cationic nanocapsules on malaria has not been reported. A 2 factorial design was adopted using, as independent variables, the concentration of Curcuma oil, presence of quinine, type of polymer, and aqueous surfactant. Diameter, zeta potential, and pH were the responses studied. The formulations were also evaluated for drug content, encapsulation efficiency, photostability, and antimalarial activity against Plasmodium berghei-infected mice. The type of polymer influenced all of the responses studied. Quinine-loaded Eudragit RS100 (F13) and PCL nanocapsules (F9), both with polysorbate 80 coating, showed nanometric particle size, positive zeta potential, neutral pH, high drug content, and quinine photoprotection ability; thus, these nanocapsules were selected for in vivo tests. Both formulations showed lower levels of parasitemia from the beginning of the experiment (5.78 ± 3.60 and 4.76 ± 3.46% for F9 and F13, respectively) and highest survival mean time (15.3 ± 2.0 and 14.9 ± 5.6 days for F9 and F13, respectively). F9 and F13 showed significant survival curve compared to saline, thus demonstrating that nanoencapsulation improved bioefficacy of QN and co-encapsulated curcuminoids, regardless of the surface charge.

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This study aimed to revalidate an HPLC-based analytical methodology to determine  tacrolimus within lipid-core nanocapsules and to evaluate the quality of such nanosystems. Chromatographic separation was achieved by employing a C18 column as a stationary phase and a ternary mixture of acetonitrile: water: phosphoric acid (700:299:1 v/v) as the mobile phase. The revalidated method proved to be linear in the range of 1-60 µg.mL−1 for tacrolimus (r2 >0.999). Detection and quantification limits were 45.38 ng.mL-1 and 137.51 ng.mL-1, respectively, which assures the methodology sensitivity. The method was also precise (RSD = 1.78% between samples). Besides, the methodology demonstrated accuracy and robustness. The lipid-core nanocapsules-loaded tacrolimus showed exclusively nanosized particles (±190 nm and polydispersity index of ≤v0.2), negative zeta potential (-13.67±1.16), and slightly acidic pH (5.58 ± 0.06), with a content of 98.90±2.32%  and encapsulation rate of 99.23±0.32%.  Tacrolimus-loaded in lipid-core nanocapsules-loaded tacrolimus showed stability for at least 30 days at room temperature and a sustained release profile compared to the drug in solution.

Introduction: In Brazil, the right to health has a constitutional and universal provision. However, the judicial route has been widely used to access health goods and services. Objective: To analyze the lawsuits of medicines filed by citizens of a Brazilian municipality. Methods: Quantitative and retrospective study evaluating 652 lawsuits filed in 2016 conducted in Uruguaiana, state of Rio Grande do Sul. The information was made available by the State Department of Health. Results: 55.5% of lawsuits filed were related to drugs provided by the public health system Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). 44.5% did not fit into the guidelines of the Brazilian Policy for Pharmaceutical Services. Most of the lawsuits were filed by women over 60 years old. Regarding the therapeutic classification, the most requested drugs were for the nervous system. The most described pathological condition according to the ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases) was Diabetes Mellitus. Conclusion: These data corroborate the situation found in other parts of the country, demonstrating the need to reorganize the Pharmaceutical Service Policy to ensure universal and equitable access to medicines, as described in the Federal Constitution.