Two South African medicinal plants, Strophanthus speciosus and Eucomis montana, were investigated phytochemically. From Strophanthus speciosus a cardenolide, neritaloside, was isolated, whilst Eucomis montana yielded three homoisoflavanones, 3,9- dihydroeucomin, 4'-demethyl-3,9-dihydroeucomin, and 4'-demethyl-5-0-methyl-3,9- dihydroeucomin. The structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data. The homoisoflavanones were screened for anti-inflammatory activity using a chemiluminescent luminol assay, modified for microplate usage. All of the homoisoflavanones exhibited good inhibition of chemiluminescence, with IC50 values for 3,9-dihydroeucomin, 4'-demethyl-3,9-dihydroeucomin, and 4'-demethyl-5-0-methyl-3,9- dihydroeucomin being 14mg/mL, 7mg/mL, and 13mg/mL respectively. The IC50 value of 4'-demethyl-3,9-dihydroeucomin compared favourably with the NSAID control (meloxicam), which had an IC50 of 6mg/mL. Neritaloside was not screened for biological activity as the yield of 14.4mg was insufficient for the muscle-relaxant screen for which it was intended. An assay for antioxidant/free radical scavenging activity was also performed. All the compounds had excellent antioxidant/free radical scavenging activity, with percentage inhibition of the reaction being 92%, 96%, and 94% for 3,9-dihydroeucomin, 4'-demethyl- 3,9-dihydroeucomin, and 4'-demethyl-5-0-methyl-3,9-dihydroeucomin respectively at a concentration of 10mg/mL. However, the control compounds, diclofenac and meloxicam, also exhibited strong activity, with the result that the precise mode of anti-inflammatory activity could not be unequivocally determined. The results from the biological screenings thus provided a rational scientific basis for the indigenous ethnomedicinal use of Eucomis species in the treatment of rheumatism, inflammation and pain. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Chiropractic), Durban Institute of Technology, 2003. / Low back pain is one of the largest known causes of disability in western society. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative effectiveness of combined spinal manipulation and interferential current therapy versus combined oral meloxicam and interferential current therapy in the treatment of acute mechanical low back pain. / M

<p>The pathogenesis of osteoarthritis is mediated in part by inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-1 (IL-1), which promote degradation of articular cartilage and prevent human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) chondrogenesis. We combined gene therapy and functional tissue engineering to develop engineered cartilage with immunomodulatory properties that allow chondrogenesis in the presence of pathologic levels of IL-1 by inducing overexpression of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) in hMSCs via scaffold-mediated lentiviral gene delivery. A doxycycline-inducible vector was used to transduce hMSCs in monolayer or within 3D woven PCL scaffolds to enable tunable IL-1Ra production. In the presence of IL-1, IL-1Ra-expressing engineered cartilage produced cartilage-specific extracellular matrix, while resisting IL-1-induced upregulation of matrix metalloproteinases and maintaining mechanical properties similar to native articular cartilage. The ability of functional engineered cartilage to deliver tunable anti-inflammatory cytokines to the joint may enhance the long-term success of therapies for cartilage injuries or osteoarthritis.</p><p> Following this, we modified this anti-inflammatory engineered cartilage to incorporate rabbit MSCs and evaluated this therapeutic strategy in a pilot study in vivo in rabbit osteochondral defects. Rabbits were fed a custom doxycycline diet to induce gene expression in engineered cartilage implanted in the joint. Serum and synovial fluid were collected and the levels of doxycycline and inflammatory mediators were measured. Rabbits were euthanized 3 weeks following surgery and tissues were harvested for analysis. We found that doxycycline levels in serum and synovial fluid were too low to induce strong overexpression of hIL-1Ra in the joint and hIL-1Ra was undetectable in synovial fluid via ELISA. Although hIL-1Ra expression in the first few days local to the site of injury may have had a beneficial effect, overall a higher doxycycline dose and more readily transduced cell population would improve application of this therapy. </p><p> In addition to the 3D woven PCL scaffold, cartilage-derived matrix scaffolds have recently emerged as a promising option for cartilage tissue engineering. Spatially-defined, biomaterial-mediated lentiviral gene delivery of tunable and inducible morphogenetic transgenes may enable guided differentiation of hMSCs into both cartilage and bone within CDM scaffolds, enhancing the ability of the CDM scaffold to provide chondrogenic cues to hMSCs. In addition to controlled production of anti-inflammatory proteins within the joint, in situ production of chondro- and osteo-inductive factors within tissue-engineered cartilage, bone, or osteochondral tissue may be highly advantageous as it could eliminate the need for extensive in vitro differentiation involving supplementation of culture media with exogenous growth factors. To this end, we have utilized controlled overexpression of transforming growth factor-beta 3 (TGF-β3), bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) or a combination of both factors, to induce chondrogenesis, osteogenesis, or both, within CDM hemispheres. We found that TGF-β3 overexpression led to robust chondrogenesis in vitro and BMP-2 overexpression led to mineralization but not accumulation of type I collagen. We also showed the development of a single osteochondral construct by combining tissues overexpressing BMP-2 (hemisphere insert) and TGF-β3 (hollow hemisphere shell) and culturing them together in the same media. Chondrogenic ECM was localized in the TGF-β3-expressing portion and osteogenic ECM was localized in the BMP-2-expressing region. Tissue also formed in the interface between the two pieces, integrating them into a single construct. </p><p> Since CDM scaffolds can be enzymatically degraded just like native cartilage, we hypothesized that IL-1 may have an even larger influence on CDM than PCL tissue-engineered constructs. Additionally, anti-inflammatory engineered cartilage implanted in vivo will likely affect cartilage and the underlying bone. There is some evidence that osteogenesis may be enhanced by IL-1 treatment rather than inhibited. To investigate the effects of an inflammatory environment on osteogenesis and chondrogenesis within CDM hemispheres, we evaluated the ability of IL-1Ra-expressing or control constructs to undergo chondrogenesis and osteogenesis in the prescence of IL-1. We found that IL-1 prevented chondrogenesis in CDM hemispheres but did not did not produce discernable effects on osteogenesis in CDM hemispheres. IL-1Ra-expressing CDM hemispheres produced robust cartilage-like ECM and did not upregulate inflammatory mediators during chondrogenic culture in the presence of IL-1.</p> / Dissertation

This paper reviewed the mechanisms of systemic inflammation and the nutritional status of the individuals who suffer from chronic diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematous, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, irritable bowel diseases include ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, asthma, and atherosclerosis. Treatment modalities such as diet regimens will also be discussed. The Anti-Inflammatory diet, Mediterranean Diet, and the Dash diet will be discussed. Nutritional status and inflammation go hand in hand according to the findings available today. There is still more research required to completely understand the mechanisms that occur in inflammation.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Animal Sciences / Barry Bradford / The transition into lactation is a period of primary concern to dairy producers because of the tremendous incidence of health disorders observed during this time. Two common disorders that lead to decreases in production and retention within the herd include fatty liver disorder (FL) and ketosis. These two disorders have been commonly associated with negative energy balance, yet recently it has been hypothesized that inflammation is a contributor to the etiology of these disorders. Three individual projects were completed for this dissertation, all involving inflammation. The role of endogenous inflammation was determined by administration of sodium salicylate (SS) to cows for 7 d after parturition, and metabolites and production responses were evaluated. Overall it appears that SS induced hypoglycemic conditions and increased triglyceride accumulation in the liver (while administered), increased lipid mobilization and ketones (2 weeks after administration ended), and increased whole lactation milk production in older cows. A sensitive, specific sandwich ELISA for bovine tumor necrosis factor-[alpha] was developed, which provided the ability to measure “normal” circulating levels of this cytokine. The final study involved inducing inflammation by daily injections of the TNF[alpha] to the early lactation dairy cow. In this model, cows receiving TNF[alpha] had a reduction in dry matter intake, water intake, and decreases in milk production and milk components. Overall, it appears that inflammation is involved in the normal biology of the transition dairy cow and disrupting this can lead to interesting negative effects and some improvements of production; however, when inflammation is much greater it can lead to negative production effects.

<p>Electrostatic interaction is a strong force that attracts positively and negatively charged molecules to each other. Such an interaction is formed between positively charged polycationic polymers and negatively charged nucleic acids. In this dissertation, the electrostatic attraction between polycationic polymers and nucleic acids is exploited for applications in oral gene delivery and nucleic acid scavenging. An enhanced nanoparticle for oral gene delivery of a human Factor IX (hFIX) plasmid is developed using the polycationic polysaccharide, chitosan (Ch), in combination with protamine sulfate (PS) to treat hemophilia B. For nucleic acid scavenging purposes, the development of an effective nucleic acid scavenging nanofiber platform is described for dampening hyper-inflammation and reducing the formation of biofilms.</p><p>Non-viral gene therapy may be an attractive alternative to chronic protein replacement therapy. Orally administered non-viral gene vectors have been investigated for more than one decade with little progress made beyond the initial studies. Oral administration has many benefits over intravenous injection including patient compliance and overall cost; however, effective oral gene delivery systems remain elusive. To date, only chitosan carriers have demonstrated successful oral gene delivery due to chitosan’s stability via the oral route. In this study, we increase the transfection efficiency of the chitosan gene carrier by adding protamine sulfate to the nanoparticle formulation. The addition of protamine sulfate to the chitosan nanoparticles results in up to 42x higher in vitro transfection efficiency than chitosan nanoparticles without protamine sulfate. Therapeutic levels of hFIX protein are detected after oral delivery of Ch/PS/phFIX nanoparticles in 5/12 mice in vivo, ranging from 3 -132 ng/mL, as compared to levels below 4 ng/mL in 1/12 mice given Ch/phFIX nanoparticles. These results indicate the protamine sulfate enhances the transfection efficiency of chitosan and should be considered as an effective ternary component for applications in oral gene delivery.</p><p>Dying cells release nucleic acids (NA) and NA-complexes that activate the inflammatory pathways of immune cells. Sustained activation of these pathways contributes to chronic inflammation related to autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease. Studies have shown that certain soluble, cationic polymers can scavenge extracellular nucleic acids and inhibit RNA-and DNA-mediated activation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and inflammation. In this study, the cationic polymers are incorporated onto insoluble nanofibers, enabling local scavenging of negatively charged pro-inflammatory species such as damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) molecules in the extracellular space, reducing cytotoxicity related to unwanted internalization of soluble cationic polymers. In vitro data show that electrospun nanofibers grafted with cationic polymers, termed nucleic acid scavenging nanofibers (NASFs), can scavenge nucleic acid-based agonists of TLR 3 and TLR 9 directly from serum and prevent the production of NF-ĸB, an immune system activating transcription factor while also demonstrating low cytotoxicity. NASFs formed from poly (styrene-alt-maleic anhydride) conjugated with 1.8 kDa branched polyethylenimine (bPEI) resulted in randomly aligned fibers with diameters of 486±9 nm. NASFs effectively eliminate the immune stimulating response of NA based agonists CpG (TLR 9) and poly (I:C) (TLR 3) while not affecting the activation caused by the non-nucleic acid TLR agonist pam3CSK4. Results in a more biologically relevant context of doxorubicin-induced cell death in RAW cells demonstrates that NASFs block ~25-40% of NF-ĸβ response in Ramos-Blue cells treated with RAW extracellular debris, ie DAMPs, following doxorubicin treatment. Together, these data demonstrate that the formation of cationic NASFs by a simple, replicable, modular technique is effective and that such NASFs are capable of modulating localized inflammatory responses. </p><p>An understandable way to clinically apply the NASF is as a wound bandage. Chronic wounds are a serious clinical problem that is attributed to an extended period of inflammation as well as the presence of biofilms. An NASF bandage can potentially have two benefits in the treatment of chronic wounds by reducing the inflammation and preventing biofilm formation. NASF can prevent biofilm formation by reducing the NA present in the wound bed, therefore removing large components of what the bacteria use to develop their biofilm matrix, the extracellular polymeric substance, without which the biofilm cannot develop. The NASF described above is used to show the effect of the nucleic acid scavenging technology on in vitro and in vivo biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and S. epidermidis biofilms. The in vitro studies demonstrated that the NASFs were able to significantly reduce the biofilm formation in all three bacterial strains. In vivo studies of the NASF on mouse wounds infected with biofilm show that the NASF retain their functionality and are able to scavenge DNA, RNA, and protein from the wound bed. The NASF remove DNA that are maintaining the inflammatory state of the open wound and contributing to the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), such as mtDNA, and also removing proteins that are required for bacteria/biofilm formation and maintenance such as chaperonin, ribosomal proteins, succinyl CoA-ligase, and polymerases. However, the NASF are not successful at decreasing the wound healing time because their repeated application and removal disrupts the wound bed and removes proteins required for wound healing such as fibronectin, vibronectin, keratin, and plasminogen. Further optimization of NASF treatment duration and potential combination treatments should be tested to reduce the unwanted side effects of increased wound healing time.</p> / Dissertation

Orientador: Juliana Heloisa Pinê Américo-Pinheiro / Resumo: Durante anos utilizou-se a coagulação, floculação, decantação, filtração e desinfecção para tratamento de água, contudo com a detecção dos Contaminantes Emergentes (CE’s) nos mananciais, como os fármacos, agregou-se aos métodos tradicionais o processo de adsorção, uma técnica avançada para a remoção dos CE’s. O objetivo do presente estudo foi desenvolver um material compósito de polietileno de tereftalato (PET) e cinza pesada de cana de açúcar (CPCA) funcionalizado com óxido de ferro (Fe3+) de baixo custo e avaliar a eficiência desse compósito na adsorção de diclofenaco de sódio (DIC) em solução sintética, simulando água de abastecimento para procedimento em batelada e em sistema de fluxo contínuo para aplicação em coluna de leito fixo. Utilizou-se para o procedimento em batelada uma concentração de 1000 µg.L-1 de DIC e 500 µg.L-1 de DIC para o ensaio em coluna de leito fixo. O processo adsorção em batelada iniciou-se com a determinação da massa do adsorvente, para obter a massa necessária para adsorver a quantidade analisada de DIC, seguido pela cinética de adsorção e isoterma de adsorção, avaliando a velocidade de reação e capacidade de adsorção, respectivamente. Por fim, verificou-se como o adsorvente se comportaria em fluxo contínuo por meio do ensaio de coluna em leito fixo. A determinação de massa permitiu concluir que a quantidade de 0,3 g de PETCPCA/Fe3+ é a que melhor se ajustaria à solução trabalho. O modelo de pseudo-segunda ordem (PSO) foi o que se ajustou ao estu... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: For years, coagulation, flocculation, decantation, filtration and disinfection for water treatment were used, however with the detection of the Emerging Contaminants (EC’s) in the springs, as the drugs, the traditional methods were added the adsorption process, a technique advanced for EC removal. The objective of the present study was to develop a low cost composite material of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and sugarcane ash (SCA) with iron oxide (Fe3+) and to evaluate the efficiency of this composite in the adsorption of diclofenac sodium (DIC) in synthetic solution, simulating supply water for batch process and continuous flow system for fixed bed column application. A concentration of 1000 μg.L-1 of DIC and 500 μg.L-1 of DIC was used for the batch procedure for the fixed bed column assay. The batch adsorption process was started by determining the mass of the adsorbent to obtain the mass needed to adsorb the analyzed amount of DIC, followed by adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherm, evaluating the reaction rate and adsorption capacity, respectively. Finally, it was verified how the adsorbent would conduct in a continuous flow through the fixed bed column test. The determination of mass allowed to conclude that the amount of 0.3 g PETSCSA/Fe3+ is the one that would best fit the work solution. The second-order model (SOM) was the one that fit the study, having a coefficient of determination (R²) equal to 0.97. The isotherms (Lagmuir and Freundlich) were adjusted to ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

O gênero Baccharis compreende de 433 espécies, as quais estão distribuídas por todo o continente americano, tendo como hábito ervas perenes, lianas, subarbustos e pequenas árvores. A grande quantidade de espécies e a imensa variabilidade tem dificultado os pesquisadores na circunscrição taxonômica do gênero, sendo que recentemente uma nova classificação foi proposta com base em morfologia e dados moleculares. Sabe-se que dados químicos oriundos de substâncias do metabolismo secundário podem auxiliar, corroborar ou sugerir alterações na taxonomia, sendo que a metabolômica é uma ferramenta poderosa para a coleta destes dados. Dessa forma, os estudos de metabolômica não direcionada do gênero Baccharis objetivaram: determinar um método de extração eficiente e único para 306 espécimes (211 espécies distintas); realizar um estudo quimiotaxônomico para o gênero a partir de dados de LC-MS e análise multivariada; realizar triagem de espécies com potencial anti-inflamatório a partir de modelos de predição utilizando espécies de outros gêneros de Asteraceae. Os resultados dos estudos de extração mostraram que ambos os solventes etanol ou metanol em solução aquosa propiciaram uma extração eficiente de metabólitos em banho de ultrassom >= 10 min. A extração pode ser realizada na faixa de 48,3-85,8% de etanol ou acima de 67% de metanol acidificado com ácido fórmico na faixa de 0,12-0,27%. Os resultados do estudo quimiotaxônomico empregando dados de LC-MS e análise multivariada mostraram uma forte similaridade com a recente classificação taxonômica baseada em morfologia e dados moleculares. Na classificação quimiotaxônomica, 10 grupos principais foram observados, formados quase que exclusivamente por seções de subgêneros: quatro grupos formados por espécies do subgênero Baccharis, três grupos formados principalmente por espécies do subgênero Molina, dois grupos formados principalmente por espécies do subgênero Tarchonanthoides e um grupo formado por espécies do subgênero Coridifolia. Substâncias como flavonoides e diterpenos foram determinadas como discriminantes dos grupos formados. Os resultados da triagem de espécies com potencial anti-inflamatório mostraram que a partir de um bom modelo de predição obtido por OPLS-DA, com coeficientes R2X = 0,27, R2Y = 0,987 e Q2 = 0,83, foi possível predizer 30 espécies de Baccharis capazes de promover a dupla inibição das enzimas 5-LOX e COX-1 e que as substâncias correlacionadas a esta inibição são da classe dos flavonoides e fenilpropanoides. Portanto, o uso de dados de LC-MS com abordagem metabolômica não direcionada foi capaz de gerar descobertas importantes tanto para a quimiotaxonomia do gênero Baccharis, quanto na triagem de espécies com potencial anti-inflamatório. Essas descobertas poderão auxiliar tanto os taxonomistas quanto os estudos bioguiados na descoberta de novos fármacos / The genus Baccharis comprises 433 species which are widespread throughout the American continent and their habit consists of perennial herbs, lianas, sub-shrubs and small trees. The great amount of species and the enormous variability have made difficult the taxonomic circumscription of the genus. Recently, a new classification has been proposed based on morphological and molecular data. It is known that chemical data from compound of the secondary metabolism can help to corroborate or suggest alterations in the taxonomy of plants. Thus, the untargeted metabolomic studies of the genus Baccharis aimed to: determine an efficient and unique extraction method for 306 specimens (211 distinct species); to carry out a chemotaxonomic study for the genus from LC-MS data and multivariate analysis; to screen species with anti-inflammatory potential from prediction models using species from other genera of Asteraceae. The extraction results showed that both solvents ethanol or methanol in aqueous solution provided an efficient extraction of metabolites in ultrasonic bath >= 10 min. The extraction can be carried out in the range of 48.3-85.8% ethanol or above 67% in methanol acidified with formic acid in the range of 0.12-0.27%. The results of the chemotaxonomic study using LC-MS and multivariate analysis showed a strong similarity with the recent taxonomic classification based on morphology and molecular data. In the chemotaxonomic classification, 10 main groups were observed, which are formed almost exclusively by sections of the following subgenera: four groups formed by species of the subgenus Baccharis, three groups formed mainly by species of the subgenus Molina, two groups formed mainly by species of the subgenus Tarchonanthoides and one group formed by species of the subgenus Coridifolia. Substances such as flavonoids and diterpenes were determined as discriminants of the groups formed. The results of the screening of species with anti-inflammatory potential showed that from a good prediction model made by OPLS-DA with coefficients R2X = 0.27, R2Y = 0.987 and Q2 = 0.83 it was possible to predict 30 species of Baccharis able of promoting double inhibition of the 5-LOX and COX-1 enzymes and that the substances correlated to this inhibition are from the flavonoids and phenylpropanoids classes. Therefore, the use of LC-MS chemical data using a non-targeted metabolomic approach generated important discoveries both to the chemotaxonomy of the genus Baccharis and also for the screening of species with anti-inflammatory potential. These findings can help both taxonomists and bioguided studies for the discovery of new drugs

&#946; Escina, o principal princípio ativo das sementes da Castanha-da-Índia, Aesculus hippocastanum (Hippocastanaceae), tem demonstrado evidências satisfatórias nas respostas clínicas significativas dos casos de insuficiência venosa crônica (IVC), hemorróidas e edemas pós-operatórios. (SIRTORI C.R., 2001). Suas características físico-químicas e farmacológicas permitem seu uso tanto medicamentoso quanto cosmético. Como produto de uso farmacêutico, possui grande utilidade e várias apresentações, em diferentes formas farmacêuticas. A &#946; Escina é uma mistura de saponinas, substâncias de elevado peso molecular, formada por uma parte hidrofóbica denominada aglicona ou sapogenina e uma parte hidrofílica constituída por um ou mais açúcares. (TREASE G.E. et al., 1996). Ocorre na natureza na forma beta, que é praticamente insolúvel em água e em óleo. (MARTINDALE, 2003). Por ser praticamente insolúvel em água, sua manipulação e incorporação em formas farmacêuticas líquidas e semi-sólidas são dificultadas. Além disso, esta característica pode ser responsável por uma redução da sua absorção e conseqüente biodisponibilidade. O trabalho proposto foi a modificação da molécula da &#946; escina, através da sua esterificação, processo químico que altera a estrutura molecular de uma droga, e conseqüentemente sua farmacocinética. (KOROLKOVAS A. et al., 1988). Através da reação com grupamentos anidridos: ftálico e succínico, aumentamos a solubilidade dos derivados da &#946; Escina em água, que pôde ser verificada através do estudo comparativo de solubilidades em vários solventes orgânicos, realizado entre as moléculas modificadas e a molécula original. O resultado deste estudo de solubilidade, aliado aos testes farmacotécnicos com bases aquosas, nos mostra uma melhora no comportamento dos produtos desenvolvidos, quando em solventes ou bases aquosas, apresentando-se como materiais de fácil incorporação, e formulações finais de maior transparência. Através de análise por eletroforese capilar micelar dos derivados desenvolvidos, pudemos verificar a ocorrência das reações com os anidridos succínico e ftálico, o que confirma a realização da síntese proposta. A avaliação por cromatografia em camada delgada teve como objetivo comparar qualitativamente as moléculas desenvolvidas com a molécula original. Esta análise confirma as alterações na &#946; Escina de partida. Para avaliação da eficácia farmacológica dos produtos desenvolvidos, foi utilizada a metodologia da dermatite induzida pelo óleo de cróton, que demonstra o efeito antiinflamatório das substâncias por comparação entre pesos de orelhas de camundongos (SERTIÉ J.A.A., et al 1991). O experimento realizado mostrou resultado satisfatório quando comparados os efeitos antiinflamatórios produzidos pelas moléculas desenvolvidas e pela molécula original, chegando a apresentar melhores resultados para os derivados ftálicos. / &#946; aescin, the major active from Aesculus hippocastanum (Hippocastanaceae), the Horse-Chestnut tree, has shown satisfactory evidence for a clinically significant activity in chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), hemorrhoids and post-operative oedema. (SIRTORI C.R., 2001). Its physico-chemical and pharmacological characteristics allow both cosmetic and pharmaceutical uses. As a pharmaceutical product, it has great utility in several presentations, on various pharmaceutical forms. The &#946; Aescin is a mixture of saponins, high molecular weight substances, composed by a hidrophobic chain, called aglicone or sapogenin, and a hydrophilic chain, that may contain one or more sugar molecules. (TREASE G.E. et al., 1996). It occurs as beta form that is practically insoluble in water and oils. (MARTINDALE, 2003). For being practically insoluble in water, its handling and incorporation in liquid and semi-solid pharmaceutical forms are very difficult. Moreover, this feature can be responsible for a reduction in their absorption and consequent bioavailability. The present work has the purpose of doing chemical modifications to the &#946; Aescin molecule. The main chemical reaction used was the estherification, a chemical process that modifies the molecular structure of a drug, and consequently its pharmacokinetics. (KOROLKOVAS A. et al., 1988). The reaction with anhydride groups: phtalic and succinic, increased the solubility of the derivatives, which could be verified by a comparative study of solubility in various organic solvents, between the derivatives and the original molecule. The result of this study and the pharmacotecnic tests show us the improvement of the derivatives when solved in aqueous bases, showing up an easy incorporation material, and formulations of greater transparency. Through micellar capillary electrophoresis analysis of the derivatives developed, we could verify the occurrence of reactions with succinic and phtalic anhydrides, which confirms the proposed synthesis. A thin layer chromatography had the objective of qualitative comparison of developed molecules and the original. This analysis confirms the changes occurred at the &#946; Aescin. For pharmacological effectiveness evidence, the chosen methodology was the croton oil induced dermatitis, which demonstrates the anti-inflammatory effect of the substances by comparing weight of a tissue, such as ear tissue, of mice. (SERTIÉ J.A.A. et al., 1991). The experiment conducted showed satisfactory results, when compared the anti-inflammatory effects produced by the developed molecules and the original molecule, presenting better results for phtalic derivatives.

O controle da dor na ortodontia é necessário, pois a movimentação dos elementos dentais por forças específicas causa uma reação inflamatória no periodonto e consequente sensação dolorosa. O controle do processo inflamatório pode alterar a movimentação ortodôntica pela diminuição da irrigação sanguínea do periodonto. Este trabalho prospectivo, duplo-cego randomizado, estudou o efeito do tenoxicam na analgesia preemptiva e na movimentação ortodôntica de caninos superiores. Foram avaliados 36 pacientes submetidos a retrações ortodônticas bilaterais de dentes caninos superiores. Cada lado foi tratado em 3 momentos distintos, totalizando 216 ativações de retração, realizadas altenando-se os lados. O paciente foi seu próprio controle. As retrações foram divididas em três grupos de 24 pacientes cada. No grupo A, foi realizada a retração administrando-se o tenoxicam via oral para controle da dor, quarenta e cinco minutos antes do procedimento e imediatamente após o mesmo houve a administração do placebo. No grupo B, o placebo foi administrado quarenta e cinco minutos antes do procedimento e o tenoxicam imediatamente após o término do mesmo, e no Grupo C os pacientes receberam o placebo tanto antes quanto depois da retração. Esses procedimentos se repetiram em intervalos de 15 dias, totalizando 90 dias de tratamento por paciente. Os pacientes puderam utilizar como resgate o analgésico dipirona sempre que fosse necessário. Questionários contendo a escala analógica visual (EAV), a descritiva de dor (EDD) e uma tabela para controle do consumo de analgésico resgate foram fornecidos após cada procedimento. As movimentações foram executadas pela técnica de Roth (arco reto) com forças padronizadas por um dinamômetro e molas de níquel titânio (NiTi). A quantidade de movimentação foi avaliada por meio de medidas lineares aferidas com um paquímetro. O tenoxicam não influenciou a movimentação dos dentes, uma vez que os resultados obtidos mostraram que a quantidade de movimentação não foi estatisticamente diferente entre os 3 grupos. Os pacientes que receberam o tenoxicam tiveram melhor controle da dor que os pacientes controle, não sendo evidenciado efeito preemptivo neste modelo de dor. Os resultados permitiram concluir que o tenoxicam não demonstrou influência na movimentação ortodôntica de retração de caninos, proporcionando um bom controle de dor ao longo das ativações / Pain control is need in orthodontics because the tooth movements caused by specific forces lead to an inflammatory reaction in the periodontium and a consequent painful sensation. Controlling the inflammatory process may change the orthodontic movement through diminishing the blood irrigation of the periodontium. This doubleblind randomized prospective study investigated the effect of preemptive analgesia using tenoxicam and its influence on upper canine orthodontic movement. Thirty-six patients who underwent bilateral orthodontic retraction of the upper canines were evaluated. Each side was treated on three different occasions, thus totaling 216 retraction activations, which were implemented with alternation between the sides. The patients were themselves the controls. The retractions were divided into three groups of 24 patients each. In group A, the retraction was implemented with tenoxicam administered orally to control the pain intensity, fourty five minutes before the procedure, placebo was then administered immediately after the procedure. In group B, placebo was administered 45 minutes before the procedure and tenoxicam immediately afterwards. In group C, placebo was administered both before and after the procedure. These procedures were repeated at 15-day intervals, thus totaling 90 days of treatment per patient. The patients were allowed to use dipyrone as rescue medication whenever necessary. Questionnaires containing a visual analog scale, a descriptive pain scale and a table for monitoring the rescue medication intake were supplied to the patients after each procedure. The movements were implemented using the Roth technique (straight arch), with forces standardized using a dynamometer and nickel-titanium springs. The amount of movement was evaluated by means of linear measurements using a pachymeter. The tenoxicam did not influence the teeth movement, since the obtained results shown that the amounts of movement did not differ statistically between the three groups. The patients medicated with tenoxicam achieved better pain control than did the patients in the control group, but no preemptive effect was shown in this pain model. The results allow to conclusion that the tenoxicam did not show any influence on the orthodontic movement of canine retraction and it provided good pain control over the course of the activations