LS-SVR as a Bayesian RBF Network.

We show theoretical similarities between the least squares support vector regression (LS-SVR) model with a radial basis functions (RBFs) kernel and maximum a posteriori (MAP) inference on Bayesian RBF networks with a specific Gaussian prior on the regression weights. Although previous articles have pointed out similar expressions between those learning approaches, we explicitly and formally state the existing correspondences. We empirically demonstrate our result by performing computational experiments with standard regression benchmarks. Our findings open a range of possibilities to improve LS-SVR by borrowing strength from well-established developments in Bayesian methodology.

Effects of walk training with self-selected intensity on biochemical markers and anthropometric variables in women with obesity.

To evaluate the effects of 12-weeks of walk training with self-selected intensity on lipid profile and anthropometric variables in women with obesity. Forty-eight women volunteers with obesity were randomly assigned into two training groups: self-selected walking group (SSWG; n=25) and control group (CG; n=23). There was improvement in biochemical markers only in the SSWG post-intervention (p<0.05), however no changes were verified in anthropometric variables (p>0.05). This study demonstrates that walking at self-selected intensity improved the lipid profile in women with obesity.

Preparation of a solid self-microemulsifying drug delivery system by hot-melt extrusion.

Hot-melt extrusion (HME) has gained increasing attention in the pharmaceutical industry; however, its potential in the preparation of solid self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (S-SMEDDS) is still unexplored. This study sought to prepare enteric S-SMEDDS by HME and evaluate the effects of the process and formulation variables on S-SMEDDS properties via Box-Behnken design. Liquid SMEDDS were developed, and carvedilol was used as a class II model drug. Mean size, polydispersity index (PdI) and zeta potential of the resulting microemulsions were determined. The extrudates were then obtained by blending the lipid mixture and HPMCAS using a twin-screw hot-melt extruder. SEM, optical microscopy and PXRD were used to characterize the extrudates. In vitro microemulsion reconstitution and drug release were also studied. L-SMEDDS gave rise to microemulsions with low mean size, PdI and zeta potential (140.04 ±â€¯7.22 nm, 0.219 ±â€¯0.011 and -9.77 ±â€¯0.86 mV). S-SMEDDS were successfully prepared by HME, and an HMPCAS matrix was able to avoid microemulsion reconstitution and retain drug release in pH 1.2 (12.97%-25.54%). Conversely, microemulsion reconstitution and drug release were gradual in pH 6.8 and complete for some formulations. Extrudates prepared at the lowest drug concentration and highest temperature and recirculation time promoted a complete and rapid drug release in pH 6.8 giving rise to small and uniform microemulsion droplets.

Turbo-extraction of glycosides from Stevia rebaudiana using a fractional factorial design

ABSTRACT Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni, Asteraceae, leaf extract has recently called the attention of food industry as a proposal for natural sweetener. The sweet flavor is attributed to the glycosides, in especial stevioside and rebaudioside A, which are the plant main chemical markers. The aim of the work reported here was to optimize the turbo-extraction of stevia leaves using water, ethanol 70% and 90% (w/w) as green solvents. A 25-2 factorial design was applied to study the linear effects of the drug size, solvent to drug ratio, temperature, time and also the turbolysis speed on the extraction of glycosides. The glycosides exhaustive extraction showed that ethanol 70% gave better results and was used for turbo-extraction. The stevioside and rebaudioside A contents were quantified by a validated method by high performance liquid chromatographic with photodiode array detector. The contents of stevioside and rebaudioside A in fluid extract increased with the drug size, but decreased at high shearing speeds and solvent to drug ratio, while their yields decreased at higher temperature and were not affected by turbo speed. An increase in solvent to drug ratio reduced significantly the glycosides percent in dried extract. Optimal solution for S. rebaudiana leaves turbo-extraction was determined by desirability functions. The optimal extraction condition corresponded to drug size of 780 µm, solvent to drug ratio of 10, extraction time of 18 min; temperature of 23 ºC and turbo speed of 20,000 rpm, resulting in yields of 4.98% and 2.70%, for stevioside and rebaudioside A, respectively. These yields are comparable to the ones recently published for dynamic maceration, but with the advantage of shorter extraction times. This work demonstrates that turbolysis is promising for S. rebaudiana glycosides extraction and stimulate new research on the purification of these extracts, which may become an interesting source of income for developing countries such as India and Brazil.

Fluidized Bed Hot Melt Granulation with Hydrophilic Materials Improves Enalapril Maleate Stability.

This work aimed at developing enalapril maleate granules in order to improve its stability in solid dosage form. Granules were prepared by hot melt granulation using a fluidized bed apparatus. Gelucire 50/13®, polyethylene glycol 6000 e Poloxamer 407® were studied and compared as binders in 2 × 2 factorial designs where the proportions of enalapril maleate, binders and spray dried lactose were varied. The granulation process resulted in high yields and granule sizes that indicated the prevalence of particles coating. Furthermore, the granules obtained showed adequate flowability and a fast dissolution rate of enalapril maleate with almost 100% of the drug released in 10 min. The stability of enalapril maleate in hard gelatin capsules showed that the drug stability was greatly increased in granules, since for raw drug, the remaining content of enalapril maleate after 91 days was 68.4% and, for granules, the content was always above 93%. This result was confirmed by the quantification of the degradation products, enalaprilat and diketopiperazine, which were found in very low content in granules samples. The results demonstrate that fluidized bed hot melt granulation with hydrophilic binders is a suitable alternative for improving the chemical stability of enalapril maleate.

Nanoparticles containing curcuminoids (Curcuma longa): development of topical delivery formulation

Solid lipid nanoparticles incorporating Curcuma longa L., Zingiberaceae, curcuminoids were produced by the hot melt emulsion method. A Box–Behnken factorial design was adopted to study the nanoparticles production at different levels of factors such as the percentage of curcuminoids, time of homogenization and surfactant ratio. The optimized nanoparticles were incorporated into hydrogels for stability, drug release and skin permeation tests. The average nanoparticle sizes were 210.4 nm; the zeta potential of −30.40 ± 4.16; the polydispersivity was 0.222 ± 0.125. The average encapsulation efficiency of curcumin and curcuminoids was 52.92 ± 5.41% and 48.39 ± 6.62%, respectively. Solid lipid nanocapsules were obtained with curcumin load varying from 14.2 to 33.6% and total curcuminoids load as high as 47.7%. The topical formulation containing SLN-Curcuminoids showed good spreadability and stability when subjected to mechanical stress test remained with characteristic color, showed no phase separation and no significant change in pH. As a result of slow release, the nanoparticles were able to avoid permeation or penetration in the pig ear epidermis/dermis during 18 h. The topical formulation is stable and can be used in further in vivo studies for the treatment of inflammatory reactions, in special for radiodermitis.

Impact of cross-linking and drying method on drug delivery performance of casein-pectin microparticles.

Pectin is a heteropolysaccharide which has been investigated for the development of colon-specific drug delivery systems. Polymers have been associated with pectin to reduce its aqueous solubility and improve the performance of drug delivery systems. Pectin-casein interaction is widely known in food research, but it has not been fully considered by pharmaceutical scientists. Thus, this study investigated the potential of casein-pectin microparticles as a drug delivery system and clarified the impact of cross-linking and drying methods on the in vitro release of indomethacin (IND) or acetaminophen (PCT) from microparticles. Microparticles were prepared by coacervation and dried by spray or spouted bed methods. Drug recovery, in vitro drug release, size, morphology, and the thermal and diffractometric properties of dried microparticles were determined. Spray-dried non-cross-linked microparticles were able to prolong IND release, and pectin was still degraded by pectinolytic enzymes. On the other hand, glutaraldehyde cross-linking prevented the enzymatic breakdown of pectin without improving IND release. Spouted bed drying reduced IND recovery from all microparticles when compared with spray drying, thus the successful spouted bed drying of microparticles depends on the chemical characteristics of both the drug and the polymer. Release data from PCT microparticles suggested that the microparticle formulation should be improved to bring about a more efficient delivery of water-soluble drugs. In conclusion, casein-pectin microparticles show great potential as a drug delivery system because casein reduces the water solubility of pectin. The drying method and cross-linking process had significant effects on the in vitro performance of these microparticles.

Dynamic maceration of Copaifera langsdorffii leaves: a technological study using fractional factorial design

The Copaifera langsdorffii Desf., Fabaceae, is a Brazilian native tree, known as copaiba, which oil is commonly used in folk medicine as muscle relaxant, wound healing, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory to respiratory and urinary tracts. Despite of the wide use of the oil of Copaifera species, scientific works related to the study of its leaves are rarely found. In fact, processes for flavonoid extraction from C. langsdorffii leaves have not been studied yet leaving a wide field to be investigated. In this work, the 2(5-2) fractional factorial design was selected in order to study how the factors of a dynamic maceration process influence the responses of total flavonoids, total phenols, quercetrin and afzelin contents, and antioxidant activity in extracts from C. langsdorffii leaves. The results demonstrated that the significant factors studied were the drug load in extractor, the ethanol/water ratio and the stirring speed whereas the temperature and the extraction time were not significant. In conclusion, this study allowed visualizing which factors were considered the most important in copaiba leaves dynamic maceration and their effect in extract antioxidant activity. Furthermore, this technological study gives directions to optimize future extraction experiments from C. langsdorffii.

Box-Behnken design to study the bergenin content and antioxidant activity of Endopleura uchi bark extracts obtained by dynamic maceration

Brazil has one of the world's largest biodiversity in flora and a plant that has attracted attention is the Endopleura uchi (Huber) Cuatrec., Humiriaceae, which is native of the Brazilian Amazon. Among the many popular uses, this species is utilized in the treatment of woman's genito urinary tract affections and also as anti-inflammatory. It is believed that their actions derive from the major constituent, bergenin. The objective of this work was to study the Endopleura uchi barks extraction using the dynamic maceration method and the effects of the extraction time, drug to solvent ratio and temperature. A Box-Behnken design was applied to study the influence of these factors and the respective response surfaces. The extract characterization was made by determination of its antioxidant activity by DPPH; total polyphenol content and bergenin content. In general, the extracts showed good antioxidant activity, with the IC50 ranging from 4.02 to 5.87 µg/mL. The polyphenol content ranged from 31.89 to 47.82%. High levels of chemical markers are observed in all extracts, with average bergenin content of 35.58%. The result showed that the multivariate study of extraction is key step in the development and standardization of extracts Endopleura uchi.

Spray-dried extracts from Syzygium cumini seeds: physicochemical and biological evaluation

Aqueous extract from seeds of Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels, Myrtaceae, obtained by dynamic maceration was spray-dried and characterized by its physico-chemical and antihyperglycaemic action. The extract showed to possess high amount of polyphenols, significant in vitro free radical scavenger activity using the DPPH method and an antihyperglycaemic effect in alloxan-induced experimental diabetes. S. cumini spray-dried extracts were obtained using silicon dioxide and cassava starch as adjuvants. The powders showed acceptable flowability, compactability, and low hygroscopicity at 43% relative humidity. Besides, the spray-dried extracts showed in vivo antihyperglycaemic and in vitro scavenger activity comparable to the lyophilized extract. Thus, experimental data indicates that the extract from S. cumini has a relevant activity and that spray-drying could be adequately used to perform the technological processing of S. cumini fluid extracts.

Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties of 7-hydroxycoumarin in experimental animal models: potential therapeutic for the control of inflammatory chronic pain.

OBJECTIVES: In the present study we investigated the antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects of 7-hydroxycoumarin (7-HC) in animal models. METHODS: The effects of oral 7-HC were tested against acetic acid-induced writhing, formalin test, tail flick test, complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced hypernociception, carrageenan-induced paw oedema, lipopolysaccharide-induced fever and the rota rod test. KEY FINDINGS: 7-HC (3-60 mg/kg) produced a dose-related antinociception against acetic acid-induced writhing in mice and in the formalin test. In contrast, treatment with 7-HC did not prevent thermal nociception in the tail flick test. A single treatment with 7-HC, 60 mg/kg, produced a long-lasting antinociceptive effect against CFA-induced hypernociception, a chronic inflammatory pain stimulus. Notably, at 60 mg/kg per day over 4 days the administration of 7-HC produced a continuous antinociceptive effect against CFA-induced hypernociception. 7-HC (30-120 mg/kg) produced anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects against carrageenan-induced inflammation and lipopolysaccharide-induced fever, respectively. Moreover, 7-HC was found to be safe with respect to ulcer induction. In the rota rod test, 7-HC-treated mice did not show any motor performance alterations. CONCLUSIONS: The prolonged antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of 7-HC, in association with its low ulcerogenic activity, indicate that this molecule might be a good candidate for development of new drugs for the control of chronic inflammatory pain and fever.

Análisis de la composición florística de los bosques de Jenaro Herrera, Loreto, Perú / Analysis of the floristic composition of the forests of Jenaro Herrera, Loreto, Peru

La composición florística de 17 parcelas (0,5 - 2 ha) de Jenaro Herrera, Loreto, Perú fue analizada utilizando el método multivariado de agrupamiento por promedio aritmético de grupos de pares no ponderados (UPGMA). Nueve grupos florísticos fueron reportados y correspondieron a los siguientes tipos de bosque descritos anteriormente en la zona: 1) bosque ribereño, un grupo; 2) bosque latifoliado de aguas negras, dos grupos; 3) bosque de arena blanca, dos grupos(más un grupo con parcela que incluye parte de otro tipo de bosque); 4) bosque de terraza, un grupo; 5) bosque de palmeras de aguas negras, un grupo; y 6) bosque de palmeras de terraza baja, un grupo. Problemas taxonómicos en el nivel de especies fueron minimizados con la remoción de las especies raras.

The floristic composition of 17 plots (0,5 - 2 ha) of Jenaro Herrera, Loreto, Peru were analyzed using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA). Nine floristic groups were reported corresponding to the following types of forests described in the study area before: 1) riverine forest -one group, 2) black water broad leaf forest -two groups, 3) white sand forest -two groups (plus one group with a plot including part of another type of forest), 4) terrace forest -one group, 5) black water palm forest -one group, and 6) low terrace palm forest -one group. Taxonomic problems were detected in species level; however, these were minimized when rare species were removed.

The effect of oral contraceptives on aromatase expression in the eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of oral contraceptives containing gestodene on aromatase expression in the endometrium of patients diagnosed with endometriosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Endometrial biopsies were taken at the time of laparoscopy in 40 patients with endometriosis, 16 of whom were using an oral contraceptive containing gestodene at the time of laparoscopy. The remaining 24 patients were receiving no form of treatment for endometriosis. Endometrial biopsies taken from 23 patients with normal echographic signs and no symptoms were used as controls. Aromatase expression was evaluated in endometrial samples using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In the untreated, symptomatic endometriosis patients, aromatase expression was detected during the proliferative phase in 92% of cases, while in the symptom-free control patients aromatase was expressed in only 9% of cases. In patients with endometriosis who were using oral contraceptives, there were significantly fewer cases of positive endometria compared with the untreated patients with endometriosis (6%). CONCLUSION: Oral contraceptives containing gestodene are effective in decreasing aromatase expression in the eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis.

Fluid bed drying of guarana (Paullinia cupana HBK) extract: effect of process factors on caffeine content.

The aim of this study was to study the convective drying of the hydroalcoholic extracts obtained from powdered guarana seeds in a spouted bed dryer. The influence of process variables, such as the convective airflow rate, extract feed rate, and air inlet temperature, on the quality of the dry extract was determined using the caffeine and moisture content for the process evaluation. The caffeine content in the alcoholic and dried extracts was determined by capillary gas chromatography. The experiments were performed following a 3(3) factorial design and the data analyzed by response surface. The analysis of dry extract showed that the air and extract feed rates did not significantly affect (25% level) the caffeine content, but that drying temperature is a major factor to consider when the extract is submitted to fluid bed drying. Caffeine losses were significant (1% level) for drying temperatures above 120 degrees C, while moisture content was lower than 3% for temperatures above 120 degrees C. The data showed that there is an optimum temperature for the drying of guarana extracts in spouted beds, and under the conditions used in this study it was 120 degrees C.