Nano Carrier Loaded Contact Lens For Topical Ocular Drug Delivery of Fluconazole (RSPT2.2)

Abstract

Therapeutic contact lenses (TCLs) are often used in the management of a wide variety of corneal and ocular fungal diseases. Indications of TCL include pain relief, enhancing corneal healing, corneal sealing, corneal protection, and drug delivery. The polymeric support that constitutes the contact lens is loaded with the drug; in this way, there is a direct and effective pharmacological action on the target organ, promoting a prolonged release of the active principle. To improve the therapeutic performance of drug-loaded contact lenses, using a preparation of Niosomes aiming to elongate drug release of Fluconazole. The incorporation of optimum formula into contact lenses can be performed by different method and the most employed nowadays is soaking method. Eight formulae of fluconazole loaded niosome was prepared and the optimum formula was chosen by Using design expert version-13 full factorial design (two-level three factors) for optimization of the fluconazole noisome-loaded contact lenses. The three critical variables selected was the concentration of fluconazole (X1), the method of preparation (X2) and the span to cholesterol ratio (X3). The niosomal preparation was characterized for differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), percent entrapment efficiency (EE), zeta potential (ZP), Fourier- transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction, transition electron microscopy (TEM), drug release, particle size (PS), antifungal activity and cytotoxicity. Formulation 2 formulation composed of (40mg fluconazole, 40mg span and 20 mg cholesterol) with particle size of 228.2nm, PDI of 0.414, zeta potential of -34.3 and EE% of 58.4% was the optimum formula and showed a 79.62% release of fluconazole in 72hrs. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed stability of fluconazole with excipients and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed the thermal stability of fluconazole in the developed formula. Therapeutic contact lens is proposed to treat ocular diseases by loading of drug on it for prolonged drug release and contact time the expected outcome from this research is a topical ocular formulation of fluconazole preparation to avoid the drawbacks accompanying oral