ABSTRACT Vegetable oils present important pharmacological properties, which gained ground in the pharmaceutical field. Its encapsulation in nanoemulsions is considered a promising strategy to facilitate the applicability of these natural compounds and to potentiate the actions. These formulations offer several advantages for topical and systemic delivery of cosmetic and pharmaceutical agents including controlled droplet size, protection of the vegetable oil to photo, thermal and volatilization instability and ability to dissolve and stabilize lipophilic drugs. For these reasons, the aim of this review is to report on some characteristics, preparation methods, applications and especially analyze recent research available in the literature concerning the use of vegetable oils with therapeutic characteristics as lipid core in nanoemulsions, specially from Brazilian flora, such as babassu (Orbignya oleifera), aroeira (Schinus molle L.), andiroba (Carapa guaianiensis), casca-de-anta (Drimys brasiliensis Miers), sucupira (Pterodon emarginatus Vogel) and carqueja doce (Stenachaenium megapotamicum) oils.

In this work, theospheres (innovative lipid nanoparticles) were prepared by the high pressure homogenization technique using different surfactants for dapsone encapsulation. Mean particle size ranged from 105 to 153 nm and negative zeta potentials were obtained for all theosphere formulations. Atomic force microscopy images confirmed the spherical shape of theospheres. The HPLC method used to determine dapsone-loaded theospheres was selective, linear, exact and precise. The entrapment efficiency of dapsone was 91.4%. Theospheres provided controlled release of idebenone (52.7 ± 1.6%) in comparison to the free drug (103.1 ± 1.9%).

Nas últimas duas décadas os membros do gênero Enterococcus emergiram como importantes patógenos nosocomiais ao redor do mundo. No presente estudo, nós avaliamos a resistência antimicrobiana e as características genotípicas de 203 Enterococcus spp. obtidos de diferentes fontes clínicas em dois hospitais de Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. As espécies foram identificadas por testes bioquímicos convencionais e por um sistema automatizado. A diversidade genética de E. faecalis demonstrando resistência à altos níveis de aminoglicosídeos (HLAR) foi avaliada através da análise do DNA cromossômico após digestão com a enzima SmaI, seguido por eletroforese em campo pulsado. O E. faecalis foi a espécie mais freqüente (93,6%), seguido por E. faecium (4,4%). O perfil de resistência antimicrobiana foi: 2,5% para ampicilina, 0,5% para vancomicina, 0,5% para teicoplanina, 33% para cloranfenicol, 2% para nitrofurantoína 66,1% para eritromicina, 66,5% para tetraciclina, 24,6% para rifampicina, 30% para ciprofloxacino e 87,2% para quinupristina-dalfopristina. Um total de 10,3% dos isolados apresentaram HLAR para ambos gentamicina e estreptomicina (HLR-ST/GE), sendo 23,6% resistentes somente a gentamicina (HLR-GE) e 37,4% somente a estreptomicina (HLR-ST). Um grupo clonal predominante foi encontrado em E. faecalis HLR-GE/ST. A prevalência de resistência a antibióticos ²-lactâmicos, e em particular aos glicopeptídeos, foi muito baixa. Entretanto, neste estudo, houve um número crescente de Enterococcus HLAR que podem estar se disseminando intra e interhospitais.

In the past two decades the members of the genus Enterococcus have emerged as important nosocomial pathogens worldwide. In the present study, we evaluated the antimicrobial resistance and genotypic characteristics of 203 Enterococcus spp. recovered from different clinical sources from two hospitals in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The species were identified by conventional biochemical tests and by an automated system. The genetic diversity of E. faecalis presenting high-level aminoglycoside resistance (HLAR) was assessed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of chromosomal DNA after SmaI digestion. The E. faecalis was the most frequent specie (93.6%), followed by E. faecium (4.4%). The antimicrobial resistance profile was: 2.5% to ampicillin, 0.5% to vancomycin, 0.5% teicoplanin, 33% to chloramphenicol, 2% to nitrofurantoin, 66.1% to erythromycin, 66.5% to tetracycline, 24.6% to rifampicin, 30% to ciprofloxacin and 87.2% to quinupristin-dalfopristin. A total of 10.3% of the isolates proved to be HLAR to both gentamicin and streptomycin (HLRST/GE), with 23.6% resistant only to gentamicin (HLR-GE) and 37.4% only to streptomycin (HLRST). One predominant clonal group was found among E. faecalis HLR-GE/ST. The prevalence of resistance among beta-lactam antibiotics and glycopeptides was very low. However, in this study there was an increased number of HLR Enterococcus which may be spreading intra and inter-hospital.