Anti-parasitic Peptides from Arthropods and their Application in Drug Therapy.

Africa, Asia, and Latin America are regions highly affected by endemic diseases, such as Leishmaniasis, Malaria, and Chagas' disease. They are responsible for the death of 1000s of patients every year, as there is not yet a cure for them and the drugs used are inefficient against the pathogenic parasites. During the life cycle of some parasitic protozoa, insects become the most important host and disseminator of the diseases triggered by these microorganisms.

Chitosan/TPP microparticles obtained by microemulsion method applied in controlled release of heparin.

This work deals with the preparation of chitosan/tripolyphosphate microparticles (CHT/TPP) using microemulsion system based on water/benzyl alcohol. The morphology of the microparticles was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The microparticles were also characterized through infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS).