**6. Conclusion**

of active cores on the membrane surface, or even liberation of radicals in the culture medium attributed to membrane preparation temperature, but the level of promastigotes in culture medium still remains considerable, so that in an attempt to develop a smart skin bandage incorporated into methylene blue molecules on Au particles to photodynamic treatment, due

Membranes of pure natural rubber and with incorporation of gold nanoparticles and methyl‐ ene blue were inserted in the culture medium and the behavior of *L. braziliensis* promastigotes were evaluated through the population growth kinetics and morphophysiological analysis. Results regarding to population growth obtained for protozoan eluted to membranes prepared

**Figure 10.** Molecular spectroscopy in UV-Vis region of natural rubber membranes with gold nanoparticles for reduc‐ tion time of 120 min and functionalization with methylene blue molecules, compared to pure natural rubber mem‐

To improve the studies, blue methylene was incorporated to the NR membrane. This incor‐ poration does not show toxic interaction with promastigotes, since the population growth usually develops when inserted NR/MB membranes. Moreover, when irradiated culture media containing BM molecules, a deficit in the population growth is observed. For NR/MB membranes irradiated with blue light total elimination of promastigotes is observed in about 120 hours, whereas when MB molecules deposited on gold nanoparticles this time decreases to about 60 hours. This fact is attributed to the amplification effect of surface commonly evaluated by micro-Raman spectroscopy, so that the metallic particles act as sites for amplifi‐

The electrons assume an excited energy state, and during the release of the absorbed energy active radicals are generated, with interaction with the environment where are MB molecules. In the first instance, electrons from MB molecules, when returning to the ground state emit enough energy to excite the oxygen present in the medium converting to superoxides or

to the drug photosensitivity.

388 Leishmaniasis - Trends in Epidemiology, Diagnosis and Treatment

branes.

at 120 °C of thermal treatment are presented in Figure 10.

cation of energy absorbed by the anchored molecules.

Membranes with metal nanoparticles significantly influences the development of the proto‐ zoan *L. braziliensis*, thus they can be used for different applications.

Membranes with SNPs can separate the cells at different stages of maturation. In this case, we obtain a biomass feasible to manufacture a vaccine for the purpose of immunization against leishmaniasis.

Membranes with GNPs can used for a possible treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis, once the cell death is cause due to interaction between the gold and protozoan. NR/MB membranes can be direct to the photosensitive treatment of lesions and so accelerate the closing of the same. Thus, membranes with metallic nanoparticles are a viable and the low cost for both the immunization procedure and in the treatment process because the disease is already estab‐ lished. In addition, treatment with the application of membranes with MNPs dramatically reduces the side effects caused by conventional treatment.
