<p>Artemisia Afra, a popular South African traditional herbal medicine is commonly administered as a tea infusion of the leaves. However, clinical trials proving it safety and efficacy are lacking mainly due to the absence of good quality dosage forms and credible placebos for the plant. The objectives of this study were to prepare a standardized preparation of the plant leaves and freeze-dried aqueous extract powder of the leaves, in a tea bag dosage form and to design and prepare credible placebos for these plant materials.</p>

Orientador: José Ricardo de Arruda Miranda / Banca: Cristina Helena dos Reis Serra / Banca: Oswaldo Baffa Filho / Banca: Raul César Evangelista / Banca: Eryvaldo Sócrates Tabosa do Egyto / Resumo: A administração oral de drogas é uma prática comum na terapia e as formas farmacêuticas sólidas são amplamente utilizadas. A variação no perfil de absorção ao longo do trato gastrintestinal (TGI) humano e a possibilidade de liberar drogas em diferentes regiões são os maiores desafios para o desenvolvimento de novos produtos. Desse modo, avaliar formas farmacêuticas sólidas in vivo fornece um entendimento mais profundo quando um efeito sistêmico ou local é desejado. Geralmente, estes estudos são realizados por meio da cintilografia e técnicas biomagnéticas. A Biosusceptometria de Corrente Alternada (BAC) é uma técnica que merece destaque por suas características, acurácia dos resultados obtidos e versatilidade. A BAC propiciou imagens do processo de desintegração de comprimidos tanto in vitro quanto no estômago humano, introduzindo outra perspectiva na análise desse processo. Os resultados também foram correlacionados com sucesso com aqueles obtidos por metodologias específicas, garantindo uma análise mais acurada dos parâmetros físicos envolvidos com a desintegração de comprimidos. A utilização da BAC permitiu avaliar a motilidade gastrintestinal e o processo de desintegração de cápsulas de hidroxipropilmetilcelulose (HPMC) revestidas no cólon humano. Além disso, também foi possível investigar a influência do estado prandial no esvaziamento gástrico e no trânsito gastrintestinal de um sistema multiparticulado magnético. Todos esses trabalhos fortaleceram a BAC como um método alternativo na pesquisa farmacêutica demonstrando seu potencial para avaliar diferentes processos, apesar das suas limitações. Sintetizando, a BAC é uma ferramenta valiosa, com a vantagem de ser livre de radiação e inócua aos voluntários, e vasta aplicabilidade na pesquisa farmacêutica, farmacológica e fisiológica. / Abstract: Oral administration is widely accepted route for drug delivery and solid dosage forms are commonly administered. The variation of absorption profiles along the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and the ability to target drugs by adequate dosage forms to distinct sites is the challenge in the pharmaceutical development of solid dosage forms. An understanding of the factors involved in drug absorption and how the gastrointestinal variables can interfere with this process is important to develop more reliable drug delivery systems. The performance of pharmaceutical dosage forms must be fully investigated in vivo to provide more reliable information when a local or systemic effect is desirable. Generally, in vivo investigation on the behavior of dosage forms has been made by using gamma‐scintigraphy and biomagnetic techniques. AC Biosusceptometry (ACB) deserves consideration due to its features, accuracy and versatility. By using ACB technique, it was possible to monitor the disintegration process through acquisition of magnetic images in vitro and in human stomach. The results also were successfully correlated with those obtained with standard methods which provided a more reliable analysis on the physical parameters involved in the disintegration process of tablets. ACB allowed evaluating the gastrointestinal motility and the disintegration of hydroxipropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) coated capsules in human colon. Moreover, it was possible to investigate the gastric emptying and gastrointestinal transit of a magnetic multiparticulate system under influence of prandial state. All these studies have contributed to establish the ACB as an alternative method for pharmaceutical research and, despite some limitations, it was feasible to evaluate different pharmaceutical processes. In summary, ACB is a radiation free and non‐invasive technique with wide applicability in pharmaceutical, physiological and pharmacological researches. / Doutor

Beta blockers are commonly prescribed for the chronic treatment of hypertension, one of the most prolific disease states worldwide. The beta blockers selected for this study include acebutolol hydrochloride, labetalol hydrochloride, metoprolol tartrate oxprenolol hydrochloride and propranolol hydrochloride. All of these compounds have a short elimination half-life, necessitating multiple dose per day regimens and therefore the development of sustained release dosage forms incorporating these agents was considered beneficial in terms of extending the dosing interval, with the aim of improving patient compliance and subsequent therapeutic outcomes. Preformulation studies that were conducted included moisture content analysis by Karl Fischer titration, and DSC, a method used to predict potential interactions between the drugs and tablet excipients. Tablets were manufactured by both wet granulation and direct compression techniques, and the resultant drug release characteristics were evaluated using the USP Apparatus 3(BIO.DIS). A validated isocratic HPLC method, capable of separating the five drug candidates simultaneously, was developed and used for the analysis of drug samples. Tablet quality was assessed using analyses that included the physical assessment of weight, diameter, thickness, hardness and friability, as well as content uniformity of tablets, before and after dissolution testing. Direct compression tablet formulations containing each of the five beta blockers were successfully adapted from a prototype wet granulation matrix tablet containing metoprolol tartrate, and various formulation variables were investigated to establish,their effect on the rate and extent of drug release from these tablets. The grade and quantity of ethylcellulose used in the wet granulation and direct compression formulae influenced the release rate of some drug candidates. In addition, an alternative formulation method, involving freeze-drying of the drug with an ethylcellulose dispersion, was shown to have potential for altering release rates further. Anti-frictional agents, talc and colloidal silicon dioxide, did not affect drug release from these matrices,however, they affected the physical character:istics such as tablet weight and thickness, of the resultant tablets. All of the matrix tablets formulated were shown to release drug according to square root of time kinetics, in a sustained manner over a 22 hour period.

The use of minocycline for the treatment of a broad range of systemic infections and for severe acne has been associated with vestibular side effects. The severity of side effects may lead to poor adherence to therapy by patients. The use of sustained release formulations of minocycline that display slow dissolution of minocycline following administration may be beneficial in reducing the incidence and severity of side effects. Therefore, sustained release capsule dosage forms containing 100 mg minocycline (base) were manufactured and assessed for use as sustained release oral dosage forms of minocycline. Minocycline sustained release capsules were manufactured based on matrix technologies using hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC) and Compritol® as release retarding polymers. The rate and extent of minocycline release from the capsules was evaluated using USP Apparatus 1 and samples were analysed using a validated High Performance Liquid Chromatographic (HPLC) method with ultraviolet (UV) detection. Differences in the rate and extent of minocycline release from formulations manufactured using HPMC or Compritol® were influenced by the concentration of polymer used in the formulations. The rate and extent of minocycline release was faster and greater when low concentrations of polymer were used in formulations. The effect of different excipients on the release pattern(s) of minocycline and particularly their potential to optimise minocycline release from experimental formulations was investigated. The use of diluents such as lactose and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) revealed that lactose facilitated minocycline release when HPMC was used as the polymer matrix. In contrast, the use of lactose as diluent resulted in slower release of minocycline from Compritol® based formulations. The addition of sodium starch glycolate to HPMC based formulations resulted in slower release of minocycline than when no sodium starch glycolate was used. Compritol® based formulations were observed to release minocycline faster following addition of sodium starch glycolate and Poloxamer 188 to experimental formulations. In vitro dissolution profiles were compared to a target or reference profile using the difference and similarity factors, ƒ1 and ƒ2 , and a one way analysis of variance (ANOVA). In addition, the mechanism of minocycline release was elucidated following fitting of dissolution data to the Korsmeyer-Peppas, Higuchi and Zero order models. Minocycline release kinetics were best described by the Korsmeyer-Peppas model and the values of the release exponent, n (italics), revealed that drug release was a result of the combined effects of minocycline diffusion through matrices and erosion of the matrices. These in vitro dissolution profiles were better fit to the Higuchi model than to the Zero order model. Two formulations that displayed a fit to the Zero order model were identified for further studies as potential dosage forms for sustained release minocycline.

L’agence européenne du médicament (EMA) stipule que les entreprises pharmaceutiques se doivent d’améliorer continuellement le contrôle de leur production afin de garantir la qualité des médicaments et préserver la santé des patients. Les outils analytiques classiques sont, par exemple, capables d’examiner l’intégralité d’un comprimé pharmaceutique pour contrôler la qualité et la quantité des substances actives utilisées et estimer leurs profils de libération dans l’organisme. Ils ne permettent cependant pas de cartographier la distribution des composés chimiques pourtant considérée comme un critère important pour la qualité du médicament. Des techniques d’imagerie chimique comme la MSI MALDI sont donc utilisées afin de déterminer par une analyse unique la répartition spatiale et la structure des composés constituant les médicaments. Toutefois, la MSI MALDI nécessite une préparation des échantillons relativement complexe et génère des données de grande taille difficilement exploitables. Ces caractéristiques, ainsi que l’absence de spectromètre de masse adapté à l’analyse de formes pharmaceutiques solides, complexifient la mise en place de la MSI MALDI au sein de laboratoires industriels. Les travaux réalisés durant cette thèse ont eu pour objectifs d’améliorer le protocole de préparation des échantillons, d’optimiser le système d’acquisition et de mettre en place les outils chimiométriques et informatiques nécessaires à l’analyse des images MALDI au sein de l’entreprise Technologie Servier. Les développements réalisés et les résultats obtenus ont finalement permis la résolution de problématiques inexplicables jusqu’alors par les techniques analytiques classiques. / European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommendations stipulate that pharmaceutical companies have to continually improve manufacturing efficiency to ensure drug product quality. The commonly used analytical tools provide information about drug substance quality and dosage or the drug release profile by dissolving the whole tablet. However these analytical tools are not able to highlight the distribution of chemical compounds contained in the tablet. This is why chemical imaging such as MALDI MSI are used to extract the spatial and spectral information from pharmaceutical solid dosage forms. This hyperspectral imaging technique needs complex sample preparation and generates huge dataset. These two features, as well as the lack of optimized mass spectrometers to study tablets, make difficult the implementation of the MALDI MSI in industrial laboratories. During this thesis, the sample preparation protocol has been improved, the mass spectrometer has been optimized to analyze tablets and chemometrics tools has been developed in order to implement MALDI MSI within Technologie Servier company.

Orientador: Marlus Chorilli / Coorientador: Fernando Rogério Pavan / Banca: Nereide Stela Santos Magalhães / Banca: Andrei Leitão / Banca: Clarice Queico Fujimura Leite / Banca: Rosangela Gonçalves Peccinini / Resumo: A tuberculose (TB) é a principal doença infecciosa de origem bacteriana no mundo, levando anualmente à morte de milhares de pessoas e ocasionando prejuízos econômicos globais de aproximadamente 12 bilhões de dólares ao ano. Apenas um fármaco foi desenvolvido contra cepas multirresistentes desde 1960 (bedaquilina) e o surgimento de casos de TB multi-fármaco-resistente faz com que o tratamento atual seja ineficaz. A rifampicina (RIF) é um fármaco de primeira escolha usada no tratamento da TB utilizado desde 1966. Normalmente, este fármaco é administrado pela via oral, ficando assim susceptível à metabolização pré-sistêmica e interações medicamentosas com outros fármacos, o que reduz significativamente seus níveis séricos e de outros fármacos, podendo diminuir a eficácia do tratamento e aumentar o risco de resistências. Assim, o emprego de sistemas de liberação nanoestruturados e de vias alternativas de administração podem ser estratégias atraentes para a administração de RIF. A via nasal tem recebido especial atenção como rota promissora para liberação sistêmica de fármacos, uma vez que apresenta epitélio com numerosas microvilosidades e grande área de superfície, o que facilita a absorção de fármacos. Além disto, a anatomia da cavidade nasal oferece entrada para o Sistema Nervoso Central (SNC), aspecto extremamente interessante para casos de tuberculose meníngea. Dentre os sistemas nanoestruturados promissores para incorporação de RIF objetivando administração nasal, destacam-... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Tuberculosis (TB) is the world's leading bacterial infectious disease, causing thousands of people to die every year and causing global economic damage of about $ 12 billion a year. Only one drug has been developed against multiresistant strains since 1960 (bedaquilin) and the emergence of multidrug-resistant TB cases makes the current treatment ineffective. Rifampicin (RIF) is a first-line drug used in the treatment of TB used since 1966. This drug is commonly administered orally, thus being susceptible to pre-systemic metabolism and drug interactions with other drugs, which significantly reduces its serum levels and other drugs and may decrease the effectiveness of treatment and increase the risk of resistance. Thus, the use of nanostructured delivery systems and alternative routes of administration may be attractive strategies for administration of RIF. The nasal route has received special attention as a promising route for systemic drug delivery, since it presents epithelium with numerous microvilli and large surface area, which facilitates the absorption of drugs. In addition, the anatomy of the nasal cavity provides access to the Central Nervous System (CNS), an extremely interesting aspect for cases of meningeal tuberculosis. Among the promising nanostructured systems for the incorporation of RIF for nasal administration, we highlight the mucoadhesive liquid crystal systems. Due to the high viscosity of some domains of these systems, they can promote the fixation of the formulation at a desired site of action after administration and in situ formation, which may be of interest for the administration of RIF, in order to increase its fixation in the region nasal, facilitating its systemic absorption and interface with the CNS. Thus, the objective of this work was... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

In severely ill hospitalised patients with diabetes mellitus (type 1 and type 2) there is an increase in metabolic rate. Insulin requirements are increased and glycaemic control becomes more difficult to achieve. The insulin sliding-scale is a form of „top up‟ therapy used to supplement the patients existing hypoglycaemic medication. In 2002, research at Livingstone Hospital found that 14 different sliding scales were used in 38 patients (Du Plessis, 2002: 79). In 2006 the nurses and doctors working in the general medical wards at Livingstone Hospital indicated that they were willing to use a standardised insulin sliding scale protocol (Smith, 2006: 56). Thus the aim of this study was to assess whether a standardised insulin protocol can be effectively implemented. The objectives of the study were to: 1) assess insulin usage via insulin sliding scales prior to the implementation of the standardised insulin protocol; 2) implement the standardised insulin protocol; and 3) reassess insulin usage after the implementation of the standardised insulin protocol. As the study involved evaluating the use of insulin via the insulin sliding scale and the implemented insulin protocol, it occurred in four phases. The preliminary phase entailed obtaining ethical approval. The pre-intervention phase included data collection in the form of a nursing questionnaire and the auditing of patient medical records using a data collection tool. The intervention phase involved education sessions on the new insulin protocol for the nursing staff, and the implementation of a standardised insulin protocol, while the post-intervention phase comprised of post-intervention data collection, which included a nursing questionnaire, a prescribers questionnaire and the auditing of patient medical records using a data collection tool. The overall impression obtained from the comparison between the pre- and post-intervention nursing questionnaire was conflicting; in some aspects the educational intervention was successful in others not. Regardless the indication obtained was that the nursing staff require more in-service training on a more regular basis as a lack of knowledge regarding diabetes mellitus as a disease state may negatively affect patient outcomes. The overall response from the nursing staff towards the insulin protocol was positive. The prescribers‟ response to the insulin protocol was conflicted. The number of correct insulin sliding scale doses administered in the pre-intervention and post intervention phase improved by 5.25 percent. The number of incorrect insulin sliding scale doses administered during the pre- and post -intervention phase decreased by 5.25 percent. These results are positive and may be due to fewer sliding scales being prescribed in the post-intervention phase and the implemented insulin protocol. Only three (5.55%; n=54) inpatients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus were placed on the implemented protocol that is, the basal bolus regime, and rarely were dose adjustments to their insulin made rendering the effectives of the protocol undesirable. Only four (7.40%; n=54) inpatients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus were placed on the implemented protocol that is, an intermediate- to long-acting insulin (Protophane®). However all four patients experienced immediate improvements in their fasting blood glucose levels. These results indicated that by adding an intermediate- to long-acting insulin (Protophane®) to the therapy of a patient with Type 2 diabetes mellitus fasting blood glucose levels decrease. This would improve patient outcomes and decrease the risk of related diabetic complications. These limited results may indicate a clinical inertia on the part of the prescribers. Unfortunately overall the educational intervention was not successful and the implementation of the protocol was not successful and did not yield the desired results.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:22:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-10-29Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:29:22Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 souza_lgr_me_botib.pdf: 668467 bytes, checksum: 6af9a46606d8122e4df642943b2d5e06 (MD5) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / Avaliar formas farmacêuticas sólidas in vivo fornece um entendimento mais profundo quando um efeito sistêmico ou local é desejado. Geralmente, estes estudos são realizados por meio da cintilografia e técnicas biomagnéticas. A Ressonância Magnética (RM) vem sendo aplicada em tecnologia farmacêutica sendo que estes estudos são realizados com comprimidos marcados por partículas de óxido de ferro ou por gadolíneo em pó. Este estudo propõe a utilização da RM para monitorar o processo de desintegração in vitro e in vivo de comprimidos contendo açaí (Euterpe oleracea) como agente de contraste natural. O açaí é uma fruta presente em abundância na região norte do Brasil com a propriedade de atuar como agente de contraste oral em imagens obtidas por RM. Comprimidos obtidos com diferentes desintegrantes (croscarmelose sódica, crospovidona e mistura efervescente) foram marcados com açaí e revestidos com uma solução de polímero pH-independente. As formas farmacêuticas foram avaliadas in vitro e in vivo em um equipamento de RM de 0,5 T. Os resultados mostraram que o açaí é um forte agente de contraste e pode ser empregado em estudos farmacêuticos. Foi possível definir a imagem do comprimido e quantificar o processo de desintegração. Não foram encontradas diferenças (p>0,7) no tempo de desintegração avaliado in vitro nas medidas empregando-se comprimidos de crospovidona (14±1 min) e croscarmelose (15±1 min). No entanto, comparando-se com os comprimidos efervescentes (6±1 min), o tempo de desintegração foi significantemente diferente (p<0,01). Foi possível obter as imagens ponderadas em T1 dos comprimidos no estômago humano com qualidade razoável. O tempo de desintegração dos comprimidos in vivo foi 14±1 min. Este estudo mostrou que a RM é uma técnica capaz de monitorar o processo... / The performance of pharmaceutical dosage forms must be fully investigated in vivo to provide more reliable information when a local or systemic effect is desirable. Generally, in vivo investigation on the behavior of dosage forms has been made by using gammascintigraphy and biomagnetic techniques. Magnetic resonance (MR) methods have become established tools in the drug discovery and development process. Most of MR studies have been made with tablets labeled with iron oxide particles or dry gadolinium chelates (Gd- DOTA) powder. The aim of this study was to evaluate the disintegration process of tablets labeled with açai (Euterpe oleraceae) in vitro and in human stomach. Açai is a typical fruit from Amazonia, and has been recognized for its functional properties for use as oral contrast agent for MR. Tablets obtained from different disintegrants (croscarmellose sodium, crospovidone and an effervescent blend) were labeled with açai and were coated by using pHindependent polymer solution. The dosage forms have been evaluated in vitro and in vivo in a 0.5 T magnetic resonance system. The results showed that açai may be employed as a useful contrast agent which for pharmaceutical purposes. It was able to define the image of the tablets and to quantify the disintegration process. The disintegration time evaluated in vitro for tablets obtained from crospovidone (14±1 min) and croscarmellose (15±1 min) it was not significantly different (p>0.7). However, in comparison with tablets obtained with effervescent blend (6±1 min), the disintegration time was significantly different (p<0.01). It was possible to obtain images of the tablets in human stomach in T1 weighting with reasonable quality. The disintegration time of tablets made from croscarmellose sodium obtained from in vivo measurements was 14±1 min. This study showed that MR technique... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:23:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-10-30Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:09:06Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 bolognesi_l_me_botib.pdf: 259849 bytes, checksum: d7d575323f591bd0006aeb8a07bc7b2b (MD5) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / A administração oral de fármacos é uma prática comum na terapia e as formas farmacêuticas sólidas são amplamente utilizadas. O conhecimento sobre o trânsito de cápsulas e comprimidos no trato gastrointestinal é incompleto. Desse modo, avaliar o trânsito esofágico de farmacêuticas sólidas fornece um entendimento mais profundo sobre os mecanismos que desencadeiam a esofagite induzida por fármacos. Geralmente, os estudos de trânsito esofágico são realizados por meio da cintilografia, manometria e técnicas biomagnéticas, como o SQUID (Dispositivos Supercondutores de Interferência Quântica) e a Biosusceptometria de Corrente Alternada (BAC). A BAC é uma técnica que merece destaque por suas características, acurácia dos resultados obtidos e versatilidade. O objetivo do trabalho foi investigar a influência do tipo e peso da forma farmacêutica no tempo de trânsito esofágico e na velocidade de transporte no esôfago, além de estabelecer parâmetros comparativos entre os métodos cintilográfico e biomagnético empregados, para validar a BAC no estudo de trânsito esofágico de formas farmacêuticas sólidas. Cada um dos seis voluntários que participaram do estudo deglutiu com 50 ml de água cápsulas e comprimidos com 0,5, 0,8 e 1,0 gramas de ferrita, na cintilografia e na BAC. Para o estudo cintilográfico, a radiomarcação das formas farmacêuticas foi feita com 99mTc. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que o tipo e o peso da forma farmacêutica não influenciaram significativamente o tempo de trânsito esofágico e a velocidade de transporte no esôfago, embora os resultados estatísticos apontem para uma variação significativa para um número maior de voluntários. Além disso, uma comparação entre as técnicas permitiu validar a BAC como um método biomagnético para avaliar o trânsito... / Oral administration is a common practice in drug therapy and the solid dosage forms are widely used. Knowledge about esophageal transit of tablets and capsules is incomplete since it have been reported a number of injuries related to drug-induced esophageal damage. Esophageal transit time may be evaluated by employing gammascintigraphy, manometry, and biomagnetic techniques as SQUID and AC Biosusceptometry (ACB). ACB is a non-invasive and radiation free technique which enough versatility for a number of studies related to the gastrointestinal behavior of solid dosage forms. The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of different dosage forms (hard gelatin capsules and tablets) on the esophageal transit time and transport velocity in the esophagus upon to establish a comparison between the Scintigraphy and Biosusceptometry and to validate the ACB as a tool for esophageal transit studies. Six volunteers have participated in the study and they swallowed capsules and tablets with 0.5g, 0.8g and 1.0g of ferrite together 50 ml of water. For scintigraphic study, the dosage forms were labeled with 99mTc. The results showed that the parameters evaluated could not be significantly influenced by the different dosage forms administered. However, it could be observed that the results pointed out to a decrease in the transit time measured for dosage forms with lower weight. We have shown that ACB allowed investigating the influence of dosage forms parameters on the esophageal transit time in healthy volunteers with high spatiotemporal resolution. In summary, this study has allowed introducing the ACB as an alternative technique to investigate the esophageal transit of pharmaceutical dosage forms to understand the factors which could contribute to drug-induced esophageal damages.

Orientador: José Ricardo de Arruda Miranda / Banca: Luciana Aparecida Cora / Banca: José Morceli / Inclui 1 CD-Rom / Resumo: Avaliar formas farmacêuticas sólidas in vivo fornece um entendimento mais profundo quando um efeito sistêmico ou local é desejado. Geralmente, estes estudos são realizados por meio da cintilografia e técnicas biomagnéticas. A Ressonância Magnética (RM) vem sendo aplicada em tecnologia farmacêutica sendo que estes estudos são realizados com comprimidos marcados por partículas de óxido de ferro ou por gadolíneo em pó. Este estudo propõe a utilização da RM para monitorar o processo de desintegração in vitro e in vivo de comprimidos contendo açaí (Euterpe oleracea) como agente de contraste natural. O açaí é uma fruta presente em abundância na região norte do Brasil com a propriedade de atuar como agente de contraste oral em imagens obtidas por RM. Comprimidos obtidos com diferentes desintegrantes (croscarmelose sódica, crospovidona e mistura efervescente) foram marcados com açaí e revestidos com uma solução de polímero pH-independente. As formas farmacêuticas foram avaliadas in vitro e in vivo em um equipamento de RM de 0,5 T. Os resultados mostraram que o açaí é um forte agente de contraste e pode ser empregado em estudos farmacêuticos. Foi possível definir a imagem do comprimido e quantificar o processo de desintegração. Não foram encontradas diferenças (p>0,7) no tempo de desintegração avaliado in vitro nas medidas empregando-se comprimidos de crospovidona (14±1 min) e croscarmelose (15±1 min). No entanto, comparando-se com os comprimidos efervescentes (6±1 min), o tempo de desintegração foi significantemente diferente (p<0,01). Foi possível obter as imagens ponderadas em T1 dos comprimidos no estômago humano com qualidade razoável. O tempo de desintegração dos comprimidos in vivo foi 14±1 min. Este estudo mostrou que a RM é uma técnica capaz de monitorar o processo... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The performance of pharmaceutical dosage forms must be fully investigated in vivo to provide more reliable information when a local or systemic effect is desirable. Generally, in vivo investigation on the behavior of dosage forms has been made by using gammascintigraphy and biomagnetic techniques. Magnetic resonance (MR) methods have become established tools in the drug discovery and development process. Most of MR studies have been made with tablets labeled with iron oxide particles or dry gadolinium chelates (Gd- DOTA) powder. The aim of this study was to evaluate the disintegration process of tablets labeled with açai (Euterpe oleraceae) in vitro and in human stomach. Açai is a typical fruit from Amazonia, and has been recognized for its functional properties for use as oral contrast agent for MR. Tablets obtained from different disintegrants (croscarmellose sodium, crospovidone and an effervescent blend) were labeled with açai and were coated by using pHindependent polymer solution. The dosage forms have been evaluated in vitro and in vivo in a 0.5 T magnetic resonance system. The results showed that açai may be employed as a useful contrast agent which for pharmaceutical purposes. It was able to define the image of the tablets and to quantify the disintegration process. The disintegration time evaluated in vitro for tablets obtained from crospovidone (14±1 min) and croscarmellose (15±1 min) it was not significantly different (p>0.7). However, in comparison with tablets obtained with effervescent blend (6±1 min), the disintegration time was significantly different (p<0.01). It was possible to obtain images of the tablets in human stomach in T1 weighting with reasonable quality. The disintegration time of tablets made from croscarmellose sodium obtained from in vivo measurements was 14±1 min. This study showed that MR technique... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre