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In this work, synchrotron radiation total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (SRTXRF) was used to determine trace elements in eight hypoglycemiant plants (Trigonella foenum graecum, Panax ginseng, Pfaffia paniculata, Myrcia speciosa, Zea mays, Harpagophytum procumbens, Syzygium jambolona, and Bauhinia forficate). The elements P, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Rb, and Sr were detected in all medicinal plants investigated, whereas Si, S, Sc, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Se, Nb, Mo, Sn, Sb, Ba, Hg, and Pb were detected only in some of the samples. The concentration of elements in hypoglycemiant plants varied from 0.15 microg/g of Co to 3.0 x 10(4) microg/g of K and the mean of experimental limit of detection for these elements were 0.14 and 3.6 microg/g, respectively.

The present work describes the development and characterization of a nanostructured mesoporous SBA-15 silica loaded with prednicarbate, a corticosteroid widely used in the treatment for atopic dermatitis, and the assessment of its in vitro release profile in comparison with a conventional cream formulation. The inclusion of prednicarbate in the SBA-15 pores was confirmed by the respective 24 and 16 % decrease in the surface area (S BET ) and mesopores volume (V), in combination with supporting data obtained by thermal analysis (TG and DSC), FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and elemental analysis. Additionally, it has been shown through X-ray diffraction and DSC that the encapsulated molecules remain in an amorphous state, and the protective function of the loading was demonstrated through thermogravimetry by the decrease in the rate of the thermal decomposition reaction of the drug-loaded material (Dm 600-850°C ). Finally, the HPLC-MS/MS method developed was proven to be precise and accurate for the determination of prednicarbate in the receiving fluid samples collected during the in vitro release test using Franz diffusion cells.

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With the aid of the analytical energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence technique with radioisotope excitation, the concentrations of metals in commercial tablets containing 0.25 mg of digoxin were estimated. Concentrations ranging from 2.99 to 10.70 mg of Fe; 1.59 to 2.30 mg of Ni; 0.94 to 5.48 mg of Cu and 0.11 to 5.72 mg of Zn were found per tablet analyzed. The experimental detection limits for these elements varied from 13.03 to 22.57 mg l À1 , while the relative errors made in the quantification of these metals were lower than 15%.