Using fluid bed granulation to improve the dissolution of poorly water-soluble drugs

In this study, fluid bed granulation was applied to improve the dissolution of nimodipine and spironolactone, two very poorly water-soluble drugs. Granules were obtained with different amounts of sodium dodecyl sulfate and croscarmellose sodium and then compressed into tablets. The dissolution behavior of the tablets was studied by comparing their dissolution profiles and dissolution efficiency with those obtained from physical mixtures of the drug and excipients subjected to similar conditions. Statistical analysis of the results demonstrated that the fluid bed granulation process improves the dissolution efficiency of both nimodipine and spironolactone tablets. The addition of either the surfactant or the disintegrant employed in the study proved to have a lower impact on this improvement in dissolution than the fluid bed granulation process.

Influence of growth media and temperature on bacterial adhesion to polystyrene surfaces

Bacterial adhesion to inert surfaces is a complex process influenced by environmental conditions. In this work, the influence of growth medium and temperature on the adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens, Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus and Listeria monocytogenes to polystyrene surfaces was studied. Most bacteria demonstrated the highest adhesion when cultured in TSYEA, except S. marcescens, which showed to be positively influenced by the pigment production, favored in poor nutrient media (lactose and peptone agar). P. aeruginosa adhesion to polystyrene increased at low temperatures whatever the medium used. The culture medium influenced the surface properties of the bacteria as assessed by the MATS test.

Water quality assessment in piracicamirim creek upstream and downstream a sugar and ethanol industry through toxicity tests with cladocerans

An environmental impact study was conducted to determine the Piracicamirim's creek water quality in order to assess the influence of effluents from a sugar industry in this water body. For this, toxicity tests were performed with a water sample upstream and downstream the industry using the microcrustaceans Daphnia magna, Ceriodaphnia dubia and Ceriodaphnia silvestrii as test organisms, as well as physical and chemical analysis of water. Results showed that physical and chemical parameters did not change during the sampling period, except for the dissolved oxygen. No toxicity was observed for D. magna and reproduction of C. dubia and C. silvestrii in both sampling points. Thus, the industry was not negatively impacting the quality of this water body.

Germination, carbohydrate composition and vigor of cryopreserved Caesalpinia echinata seeds

The present study investigated the germination and vigor of Caesalpinia echinata (Brazilwood) seeds stored at negative temperatures. Recently harvested seeds were cryopreserved at -18º or -196ºC and periodically evaluated for germination, seed vigor and carbohydrate composition. The temperatures did not influence the germination percentages or vigor. The germination percentage decreased from 88% in recently harvested seeds to 60% after 730 days of storage. The different temperature and storage times tested did not affect the vigor seed germination as indicated by the measures of plant growth and survival. The different temperatures used did not cause changes in the carbohydrate composition. The tegument cell walls were rich in lignin, arabinose and xylose. The cytoplasm of the cotyledons and embryos had high levels of glucose, fructose, and sucrose. The cryopreservation technique here presented was effective in the conservation of Brazilwood seeds for the medium term.

Cuticle of 'Gala' and 'Galaxy' apples cultivars under different environmental conditions

This study aimed to analyze the cuticle thickness and pattern of epicuticular wax deposition in 'Gala' and 'Galaxy' apple cultivars (Malus domestica Borkh,) from three Brazilian producing areas: Vacaria (RS), Fraiburgo (SC) and São Joaquim (SC) with altitudes of 971, 1,048 and 1,353m, respectively. Harvested fruit were kept under two storage conditions: regular atmosphere (RA) (0 ºC and 90% RH) and controlled atmosphere (CA) (1.5% O2, 2.5% CO2, 0ºC and 90% RH). Cuticle thickness measurements were made using LM and the deposition pattern of epicuticular wax observed with a SEM. Altitude among the apple producing areas was not a factor in deposition pattern of waxes between the cultivars but at higher altitudes, the cuticle was thicker in both the cultivars. In the freshly-harvested fruits, waxes deposition in the form of platelets and the mechanism of tear and repair were observed. Severity of microcracks in the cuticle was more evident on the fruits from CA.

Fresh pasta production enriched with Spirulina platensis biomass

The aim of this work was to study the enrichment of Spirulina platensis in wheat flour to prepare fresh pasta to evaluate the green color and nutritional enrichment in addition to functional properties due to the presence of the bioactive compounds in the cyanobacterium. The pastas were evaluated for the centesimal composition, microbiological contamination, sensorial acceptance and technological characteristics such as cooking time, water absorption, volume displacement and loss of solids. The superior protein contents and the satisfactory technological and sensorial attributes compared with the control with no cyanobacterium showed the usefulness of incorporating S. platensis biomass in the fresh pastas. The microbiological quality was in compliance with the legislation in force. The sensorial quality was considered satisfactory ( liked very much ) and purchase intention high ( probably would buy ).

Influence of osmotic dehydration on ascorbic acid loss in pickled dry peppers (Capsicum chinense)

The objective of this work was (1) to develop a dehydrated pepper with 45% humidity, determining the drying curves for pepper, with and without osmotic pre-treatment and (2) to evaluate the influence of both drying and osmotic treatment on the content ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in fresh pepper and pepper with 45% humidity. The experiments were carried out using the peppers cut in half, with and without osmotic pre-treatment, followed by drying in an oven at 70 ºC. The results showed that the osmotic pretreatment did not influence the retention of ascorbic acid during the drying of pepper. The sensory analysis regarding the color, flavor, and texture attributes revealed that there was no difference in the acceptability.

Evaluation of oat hull hemicellulosic hydrolysate fermentability employing Pichia stipitis

Oat hull hemicellulosic hydrolysate obtained by diluted acid hydrolysis was employed as fermentation medium for Pichia stipitis cultivation. A comparison between the use of treated hydrolysate with 1% activated charcoal to reduce the toxic compounds generated during the hydrolysis process and untreated hydrolysate as a control was conducted. In the cultures using treated hydrolysate the total consumption of glucose, low xylose consumption and ethanol and glycerol formation were observed. The medium formulated with untreated hydrolysate showed morphological cell modifications with consequently cell death, no ethanol formation and formation of glycerol as byproduct of fermentative process, probably as a response to stressful conditions to yeast due to presence of high concentration of toxic compounds. Thus, further studies are suggested in order to determine the best conditions for hydrolysis and detoxification of the hydrolysate to improve the fermentative performance of P. stipitis.

Evaluation of microorganisms with sulfidogenic metabolic potential under anaerobic conditions

The aim of this work was to identify groups of microorganisms that are capable of degrading organic matter utilizing sulfate as an electron acceptor. The assay applied for this purpose consisted of running batch reactors and monitoring lactate consumption, sulfate reduction and sulfide production. A portion of the lactate added to the batch reactors was consumed, and the remainder was converted into acetic, propionic and butyric acid after 111 hours of operation These results indicate the presence of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) catalyzing both complete and incomplete oxidation of organic substrates. The sulfate removal efficiency was 49.5% after 1335 hours of operation under an initial sulfate concentration of 1123 mg/L. The SRB concentrations determined by the most probable number (MPN) method were 9.0x10(7) cells/mL at the beginning of the assay and 8.0x10(5) cells/mL after 738 hours of operation.

New protein sources in adults diet for mass-rearing of Anastrepha fraterculus (Diptera:Tephritidae)

The aim of this study was to find alternatives to reduce the cost of mass production of the South American fruit fly (A. fraterculus) by looking for locally available products as protein source in the diet of adults to replace the imported product without changing the quality parameters. Two yeast from a Brazilian company were evaluated. The quality parameters showed that the imported hydrolyzed yeast used in the adult diet could be perfectly replaced by the local products tested, with a reduction of over 80% of the cost of the diet. The quality of the produced insects remained the same and there were improvements in some quality parameters such as the volume of eggs produced, number of adults flying and longevity under the stress.

The host marking pheromone application on the management of fruit flies - a review

The aim of this work was to review the role of the host marking pheromone (HMP) and its application in integrated management programs for the fruit flies. Initially the oviposition behavior of tephritids has been analyzed with emphasis on Ceratitis capitata. The deposition of HMP, which consists in the last stage of the oviposition behavior has been characterized and discussed about evolutive aspects and the biological meaning of the tephritidae communication through the HMP. Finally, the perspectives on the use of HMP in the integrated management of fruit flies have been discussed.