Desenvolvimento de esferas biopolíméricas alginato-mucilagem para remoção de Nimesulida remanescentes em meio aquoso

Abstract

The present work aimed to synthesize and evaluate the sodium alginate and Pereskia aculeata miller biospheres for the removal of nimesulide in water-based solutions. For this purpose, the properties of point of zero charge (pHpzc) and were characterized and instrumental analyzes were carried out using Fourier transformation infrared spectrometry (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). After characterization, the biospheres were applied under the best conditions obtained to obtain the highest drug removal efficiency. The pHpzc of the alginate-mucilage biospheres was determined to be 5.8. The SEM provided images of the surface of the material, suggesting that there was good incorporation of the plant ́s mucilage into sodium alginate. The FT-IR indicated the presence of carboxyl groups and proteins, as well as characteristic bands of polysaccharides. The TG analysis alowed to identify the decomposition profile of the spheres, where similarities with those obtained from the extract and alginate were verified. Biospheres (2.0 g) were applied in a solution containing 10 mg/L nimesulide at pH 7.0, obtaining a removal efficiency of 22%, which was related of the amount of mass of the spheres used with the concentration of the solution. Ecotoxicity studies using the aquatic plant Lemna minor and the micro crustacean Artemia salina were carried out to evaluate the toxicological profiles after the treatment of the solution, noting that the samples obtained a statistically significant difference. By interpreting the result obtained and based on the literature, it can be concluded that alginate-mucilage biospheres have the potencial to be applied in the removal of nimesulide in contaminated water-based solution, provided that they are applied unde favorable conditions for adsorption to occur,