Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Liquid crystalline precursors are surfactant systems that can contain active substances as Citrus sinensis essential oil (CSEO) with exhibits biological activity against Aedes aegypti (Ae. aegypti) larvae. These systems can undergo into phase transition in aqueous solution and become more structured aggregates. Thereby, the aim of this work was to obtain and characterize nanostructured systems through water/ oil stabilized by polyoxypropylene (5) polyoxyethylene (20) cetyl ether (procetyl AWS®, PPG-5 CETETH-20) surfactant to obtain a system that in contact with aqueous fluids becomes a high viscosity liquid crystal mesophase with potential application on Ae. aegypti larvicidal control. First, the phase diagram was constructed in order to obtain the systems, composed by water, PPG-5 CETETH-20: oleic acid (OA) 1:1 and 2:1 and CSEO. There was performed critical micelle determination of PPG-5 CETETH-20, PPG-5 CETETH-20: OA 1:1 and 2:1. The systems were evaluated by polarized light microscopy (PLM), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), rheology and lethal concentration evaluation against Ae. aegypti larvae. PPG-5 CETETH-20 has shown CMC= 0,2 g/ L, PPG-5 CETETH-20: OA 1:1 CMC= 0,077 g/ L and 2:1 CMC= 0,0578 g/ L, indicating that there is a synergism between the surfactant and cosurfactant for lowering the surface tension. In the phase diagram 2:1, there were observed four regions: liquid crystal (LC), emulsion, microemulsion (ME) and phase separation, however in the 1:1 phase diagram, the LC region wasn t observed. The microscopy distinguished isotropic systems like MEs from anisotropic as lamellae and hexagonal LCs. SAXS measurements confirmed PLM structures, with broad bands of low intensity for MEs (all samples from 1:1 and six samples from 2:1), phase transition and for lamellar LC structure, the positions of the peaks should obey the relationship 1:2:3 and 1:√3:√4 for hexagonal. The rheological analysis showed that ME and phase transitions ME-LC presents Newtonian behavior, while LC presents non-newtonian behavior and the increase of aqueous phase increases the LC elasticity modulus. The larvicidal activity the samples A3 (15% A/ 5% OECS/ 80% PPG-5 CETETH-20: AO) and A4 (20% A/ 5% OECS/ 75% PPG-5 CETETH-20: AO) of diagram 2:1 exhibited LC50 6,55 ppm and 5,93 pm, respectively, indicating that these systems microstructure has improved the oil solubility in aqueous medium. Thereby, it can be concluded that there were obtained liquid crystalline precursors with a potential use against Ae. aegypti larvae. / Precursores de fase líquido-cristalina são sistemas estabilizados por tensoativos que podem conter substancias ativas como o óleo essencial de Citrus sinensis (OECS), apresenta atividade contra as larvas do Aedes aegypti (Ae. aegypti). Esses sistemas podem sofrer transição de fase em contato com meio aquoso e se transformar em agregados mais estruturados. Desse modo, o objetivo do trabalho foi obter e caracterizar sistemas nanoestruturados a partir da utilização de água/óleo estabilizados por tensoativo do tipo álcool graxo etoxilado e propoxilado (procetyl AWS®, PPG-5 CETETH-20) visando obter um sistema que, em contato com fluidos aquosos, se converta numa mesofase líquido-cristalina de alta viscosidade, com potencial aplicação no controle larvicida do Aedes aegypti. Primeiramente, os sistemas foram obtidos através da construção do diagrama de fases composto por água (A), PPG-5 CETETH-20: ácido oléico (AO) nas proporções 1:1 e 2:1 e OECS. Foi realizada a determinação da concentração micelar crítica (CMC) do PPG-5 CETETH-20 e das misturas PPG-5 CETETH-20: AO 1:1 e 2:1. Os sistemas escolhidos foram analisados através das técnicas de microscopia de luz polarizada (MLP), espalhamento de raios-X a baixo ângulo (SAXS), análise reológica, e avaliação da concentração letal média (CL50) frente a larvas do Ae. aegypti. O PPG-5 CETETH-20 exibiu CMC= 0,2 g/ L, PPG-5 CETETH-20:AO 1:1 CMC= 0,077 g/ L e 2:1 CMC= 0,0578 g/ L, indicando que existe um sinergismo entre o tensoativo e o cotensoativo para baixar a tensão superficial. Foram observadas quatro regiões distintas no diagrama 2:1, cristal líquido (CL), emulsão, microemulsão (ME) e separação de fases, sendo que no diagrama 1:1 não foi observada região de cristal líquido. Através das micrografias obtidas por MLP, foi possível diferenciar os sistemas isotrópicos, como MEs dos anisotrópicos, como CLs lamelares e hexagonais. As medidas de SAXS confirmaram as estruturas visualizadas por MLP, exibindo picos largos e de baixa intensidade para MEs (todas do diagrama 1:1 e seis amostras no diagrama 2:1), transição de fase e razão entre os picos de CL lamelar de 1:2:3 e 1:√3:√4 para o hexagonal. O estudo das propriedades reológicas demonstrou que os sistemas MEs e transição de fase são newtonianos e os CLs são não-newtonianos e que o aumento da fase aquosa aumenta o componente elástico dos CL. Para a atividade larvicida, as amostras A3 (15% A/ 5% OECS/ 80% PPG-5 CETETH-20: AO) e A4 (20% A/ 5% OECS/ 75% PPG-5 CETETH-20: AO) do diagrama 2:1 demonstraram CL50 6,55 ppm e 5,93 ppm, respectivamente, indicando que a microestrutura presente nesses sistemas corroborou para o aumento da solubilidade do óleo em meio aquoso. Desse modo, pode-se concluir que foram obtidos precursores de fase líquido-cristalina com potencial uso contra as larvas de Ae. aegypti.

The twin screw extrusion technique has been explored to produce lyotropic liquid crystal coated powder precursor by exploiting Pluronic F127 thermoreversible gelation property to get powder precursor without granular aggregates or with less compacted granular aggregates. The highly soluble chlorpheniramine maleate loaded in Pluronic F127 solution coated MCC particles prepared through twin screw extrusion was examined to produce the cubic phase (gel) for the development of controlled release formulation and for coating of very fine particles which cannot be achieved by traditional bead coaters. Controlled release formulations are beneficial in reducing the frequency of administration of highly soluble drugs having short half life and also to address the problem of polypharmacy in old age patients by reduction of dosage frequency. An unusual refrigerated temperature (5 C) profile for twin screw extrusion was selected based on the complex viscoelastic flow behaviour of Pluronic F127 solution which was found to be highly temperature sensitive. The Pluronic F127 solution was found to be Newtonian in flow and less viscoelastic at low temperature, such that low temperature (5 C) conditions were found to be suitable for mixing and coating the MCC particles to avoid compacted aggregates. At higher temperatures (35-40 C) Pluronic F127 solution exhibited shear thinning and prominent viscoelasticity, properties which were exploited to force CPM containing Pluronic F127 solution to stick over the MCC surface. This was achieved by elevating the temperature of the last zone of the extrusion barrel. It was found that to avoid compacted aggregates the MCC must be five times the weight of the Pluronic F127 solution and processed at a screw speed of 400 RPM or above at refrigerated temperature. Processing was not found to be smooth at ambient temperature with frictional heat and high torque generation due to significant compaction of coated particles which can be attributed to the elastic behaviour of Pluronic F127 solution at temperatures between ambient to typical body temperature. PLM images confirmed the cubic phase formation (gel) by Pluronic F127 coating which was found to be thick with maximum Pluronic F127 concentration (25%). SEM images showed smoothing of surface topography, and stretching and elongation of MCC fibres after extrusion which is indicative of coating through extrusion processing. Plastic deformation was observed for the lower Pluronic F127 concentration and higher MCC proportions. There was a significant decrease in work done for cohesion by the powder flow analyser observed in the batches with more aggregates compared with batches with least aggregates. A regression analysis study on factorial design batches was conducted to investigate the significant independent variables and their impact on dependent variables for example % torque, geometric mean diameter and work done for cohesion, and to quantitatively evaluate them. From the regression analysis data it was found that the coefficient of determination for all three dependent variables was in the range of 55-62%. The pharmaceutical performance of the prepared coated LLC precursor through twin screw extrusion in terms of controlled release was found to be very disappointing. Almost 100% chlorpheniramine maleate was released within 10-15mins, defined as providing burst release. The MDSC method was developed within this work to detect Pluronic F127 solution cubic phase formation. The MDSC method was developed to consider sample size, effect of heating and cooling, sample heat capacity, and the parameters for highest sensitivity which can be followed by sample accurately without the phase lag to produce accurate repeatable results.