Chagas disease (CD), caused by the flagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is one of the major public health problems in developing countries. Benznidazole (BNZ) is the only drug available for CD treatment in most countries, however, it presents high toxicity and low bioavailability. To address these problems this study used Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (ZIF-8), which has garnered considerable attention due to its potential applications, enabling the controlled delivery of drugs. The present work developed and characterized a BNZ@ZIF-8 system, and the modulation of BNZ release from the ZIF-8 framework was evaluated through the in vitro dialysis release method under sink conditions at different pH values. Moreover, the in vitro evaluation of cell viability and cytotoxicity by MTT assay were also performed. The dissolution studies corroborated that a pH sensitive Drug Delivery System capable of vectorizing the release of BNZ was developed, may leading to the improvement in the bioavailability of BNZ. The MTT assay showed that no statistically significant toxic effects occurred in the developed system, nor significant effects on cell viability.

: Chronic wounds are a remarkable cause of morbidity, requiring long-time treatments with significant impact on quality of life and high costs for public health. Although there are a variety of topical skin preparations commercially available, they have several limitations that frequently impair wound healing, such as drug instability, toxicity, limited time of action and ineffective skin permeation. In recent years, researchers have focused on the development of new effective treatments for wound healing and frequently appeal for nanometric drug delivery systems to overcome such obstacles. In dermatology, lipid nanoparticles (LNP) have received great attention of researchers due to its great functionalities, greater adhesion to the skin and film formation, enabling the hydration and maintenance of skin integrity, as well as presents a more effective penetration through the skin barrier. This review provides an update on topical formulations based on Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLN) and Nanostructured Lipid Carriers (NLC) as wound healing treatments. Both SLN and NLC are able to increase solubility and stability of active pharmaceutical ingredients, and to increase skin penetration compared to the free drugs. Additionally, SLN and NLC can increase pharmacological activity, increase the release profile of the drugs, promote synergistic effects and improve the sensory properties of the final formulation. Topical dosage forms containing nanoparticles have been extensively evaluated for wound healing activity, mainly the dressings, films and scaffolds. Therefore, lipid nanoparticles have contributed to improve wound healing therapies, including when incorporated into other dosage forms, with better efficacy and lesser adverse effects than conventional formulations.

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Background: Inflammation is an essential response provided by the immune system, ensuring the survival during microbial infection, tissue injury and other noxious conditions. However, prolonged inflammatory processes are often associated with severe side effects on health. Objective: This systematic review aimed to provide the evidence in the literature of the pre-clinical and human anti-inflammatory activity of gallium compounds from 2000 to 2019 focused on elucidating the mechanisms involved in the inflammatory process. Methods: Seven bibliographical databases were consulted (PubMed, Medline, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Springer, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost). The selection of appropriate publications and writing of this systematic review was based on the guidelines contained in the PRISMA statement. Moreover, the assessment of methodological quality of the selected studies was also performed. Results: From a total of 3018 studies 16 were included in this paper based on our eligibility criteria, which showed promising and consistent results.

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