Nanoemulsions Loaded with Amphotericin B: Development, Characterization and Leishmanicidal Activity.

Leishmaniasis is one of the most neglected diseases in the world. Its most severe clinical form, called visceral, if left untreated, can be fatal. Conventional therapy is based on the use of pentavalent antimonials and includes amphotericin B (AmB) as a second-choice drug. The micellar formulation of AmB, although effective, is associated with acute and chronic toxicity. Commercially-available lipid formulations emerged to overcome such drawbacks, but their high cost limits their widespread use. Drug delivery systems such as nanoemulsions (NE) have proven ability to solubilize hydrophobic compounds, improve absorption and bioavailability, increase efficacy and reduce toxicity of encapsulated drugs. NE become even more attractive because they are inexpensive and easy to prepare. The aim of this work was to incorporate AmB in NE prepared by sonicating a mixture of surfactants, Kolliphor® HS15 (KHS15) and Brij® 52, and an oil, isopropyl myristate. NE exhibited neutral pH, conductivity values consistent with oil in water systems, spherical structures with negative Zeta potential value, monomodal size distribution and average diameter of drug-containing droplets ranging from 33 to 132 nm. AmB did not modify the thermal behavior of the system, likely due to its dispersion in the internal phase. Statistically similar antileishmanial activity of AmB-loaded NE to that of AmB micellar formulation suggests further exploring them in terms of toxicity and effectiveness against amastigotes, with the aim of offering an alternative to treat visceral leishmaniasis.

Uso de cosméticos por mulheres do município de Esperança, Paraíba, Brasil / Use of cosmetics for women of the city of Hope, Paraíba, Brazil

O aumento de vendas de produtos cosméticos e de higiene pessoal deve ser atentamente acompanhado pelos setores regulatórios competentes, uma vez que mais de oito mil matérias-primas são usadas na formulação destes produtos e muitas podem ocasionar efeitos adversos tóxicos ou mesmo alergias. Assim, este trabalho visou investigar quais as finalidades do uso de cosméticos entre mulheres, conhecer os mais utilizados e saber os locais de aquisição destes produtos. Tratou-se de um estudo transversal, descritivo e exploratório, tendo como instrumento de coleta de dados um questionário com perguntas objetivas, aplicado entre 102 mulheres. A higiene (65,7%) foi respondida como a principal finalidade de uso. Os produtos com maior frequência de utilização foram os perfumes e desodorantes (90,2%), maquiagens (74,5%), produtos para depilação (74,5%) e tinturas de cabelos (41,2%). A maior parte das mulheres (63,7%) relatou comprar os cosméticos em revistas. Diante dos resultados expostos, pode-se inferir que as mulheres utilizam variados tipos de cosméticos, com diferentes finalidades, o que pode implicar em risco para saúde.

The increasing sales of cosmetics and toiletries must be carefully monitored by competent regulatory sectors, as many of the more than eight thousand ingredients used to formulate cosmetics can have adverse effects, such as carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, phototoxicity, contact dermatitis, hives, hypopigmentation, hyperpigmentation, depigmentation, damage to hair and nails, etc. The aims of the present study were to investigate the reasons for the use of cosmetics by women and determine both the most frequently used products and where such products are acquired. For such, a cross-sectional study with an analytical approach was carried out. Data were collected through the use of a questionnaire with objective questions administered to 102 women. Hygiene (65.7%) was the main reason cited for using cosmetic products. The most frequently used products were perfumes and deodorants (90.2%), makeup (74.5%), hair removal products (74.5%) and hair dyes (41.2%). The majority (63.7%) reported to buying cosmetics from catalogues. The present findings demonstrate that women use many kinds of cosmetics for different purposes, which may imply health risks.