Estefanía Zuriaga

Aggregation behaviour of betablocker drugs in aqueous media

The presence of pharmaceutical chemicals in the aquatic environment is a cause of concern. Knowledge of the behaviour of these compounds in water is important to identify and comprehend the consequences of their occurrence in the environment. For a better understanding of the aqueous behaviour of some pharmaceuticals, the critical aggregation concentration (cac) of several drugs in aqueous solution has been measured at 298.15 K through density (ρ), speed of sound (u) and conductivity (κ) measurements. In addition, isentropic compressibilities (κs) have been calculated from the experimental data. Moreover, solubilities have been obtained at the same temperature and the partition coefficients have been calculated theoretically using the ALOGPS method.

Exploring the usefulness of key green physicochemical properties: Quantitative structure–activity relationship for solvents from biomass

In recent decades there has been a growing interest in the development of new solvents from biomass. Some of these new solvents have been classified as green because of their renewable and sustainable source. However, characterization from the ecotoxicological and physicochemical points of view is needed to categorize them as green solvents. We have selected several key physicochemical properties that can reflect environmental features (density, boiling point, critical aggregation concentration, and log p) and explored their usefulness for preliminarily assessing the green character of the studied solvents. Specifically, we have studied several solvents from biomass: lactate family (methyl, ethyl, and butyl lactate), furfural family (furfural, 5-methylfurfural, furfuryl alcohol, and tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol), and levulinate family (methyl, ethyl, and butyl levulinate). To fill the gaps and complete some toxicity data for the environment, we have measured the ecotoxicity using 2 of the most common and versatile biomodels, bacteria Vibrio fischeri and crustacean Daphnia magna, for furfural- and lactate-derived compounds. The results indicate that solvents from biomass can be categorized as green because their toxicity for the environment is low. Finally, a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) study was performed with the selected key properties and the ecotoxicological information. Despite the different structure of the chemicals under study, good correlations were found for the studied organisms. It seems that log p and critical aggregation concentration reflect the greatest part of the ecotoxic behavior, whereas density and boiling point cannot reflect toxicity signals. However, these properties are rather useful for assessing the final environmental fate of the studied chemicals. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1014-1023.

IMPROVING GREEN PHARMACY COMPETENCES OF PEOPLE WITH ID (INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES)

The activity we present here is a Service-Learning project carried out by PhD students of Green Pharmacy (Universidad San Jorge, Spain) in order to promote the social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities (ID), improving their communication skills with pharmaceutical professionals and to improve their Green Pharmacy competences. The activity is aimed at the users of the CEDES Foundation. CEDES is a social non-profit organization committed to the integral care of children, youth and adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (DD). PhD students of Green Pharmacy become aware of the effects that the drugs produce in the environment, learn how to control the pollution and to propose environmentally sustainable alternatives for the pharmaceutical industry. As part of their learning process, the students carry out this activity within the framework of the PhD program. The students are asked to create an infographic explaining how the drugs arrive to the environment, their harmful effect and the importance of making rational use of medicines in order to prevent environmental pollution. This information has to be explained graphically and using adapted language. The infographics are printed and placed on CEDES main building, then are explained by the students and finally, infographics are in view of all users for a month. Furthermore, CEDES users visit the experimental laboratory in which the PhDs usually work and students teach how to assess the environmental impact of the drugs. Some experimental equipment is used such as microscopes. To evaluate the impact of the intervention on people with ID, CEDES users will answer a questionnaire before the intervention and after the activity. The expected results are the following: people with ID acquire a greater understanding of concepts related to drugs and the environment, being aware of the importance of properly disposing of this type of substances. On the other hand, likewise, the PhD students improve their ability to communicate with this collective and are aware of this type of disability.

Can pharmacogenetics help patients under chronic treatment with coumarin anticoagulants

Abstract Vitamin K antagonists are highly effective antithrombotic drugs. However, appropriate dosing is difficult to establish owing to its narrow therapeutic window as well as widespread inter- and intra-individual variability in dosage. Compared with dosing solely based on clinical information, pharmacogenetics can help improve the therapy with coumarins by decreasing the time to reach a stable dose and reducing the risk of bleeding. Most of the studies about genotyping of patients using vitamin K antagonists have focused on predicting the stable dose. Two genes have been shown to have the most influence on dosing: VKORC1 and CYP2C9. Furthermore, genotyping of more genes, such as CYP4F2 and APOE, is also being included in some dosing algorithms. The role of genotype beyond the initial dose-titration phase is less clear. Thus, a proven genetically determined risk of unstable dose or bleeding could help with the selection of patients who require more frequent monitoring of dose. On the other hand, patients who have a genetically determined stable dose could self-monitor their international normalized ratio (INR), making the therapy less expensive and more convenient.