The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of different cryoprotectants and their concentration on the physicochemical characteristics of chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NPs). The effect of coating of CS-NPs with hyaluronic acid (HA) and alginic acid (ALG) before and after lyophilization was also evaluated. The ionic gelation method was used for the preparation of NPs and six different types of cryoprotectants (sucrose, glucose, trehalose, mannitol, polyethylene glycol-2000, and polyethylene glycol-10,000) were investigated at 5%, 10%, 20%, and 50% concentration levels. Coating of CS-NPs with HA and their protection with high amount of cryoprotectants indicated better particle size stability. Samples that were lyophilized without cryoprotectants resulted in an increase in average size due to high agglomeration. All cryoprotectants with varying amount provided some sort of size stability for the NPs except for the PEG-10,000 which had no protective effect at higher concentrations. Sucrose and trehalose sugars were found to have the highest protective effect with HA coated and uncoated CS-NPs. In conclusion, using cryoprotectants along with surface coating, the CS-NPs could achieve the desired physicochemical characteristics for a prolonged duration.

This article describes the preparation and characterization of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) prepared with stearic acid (SLN-A) and a mixture of stearic acid and Compritol (SLN-B) as lipid matrix and poloxamer-188 as surfactant, using sodium taurocholate and ethanol as co-surfactant mixture, with a view to applying the SLN in topical ocular drug delivery. The SLNs were prepared by o/w microemulsion technique and characterized by time-resolved particle size analysis, polydispersity index, zeta(ζ )-potential, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), IR-spectroscopy, and wide-angle X-ray diffractometry (WAXD). The results obtained in these studies were compared with SLN prepared with stearic acid alone. IR, WAXD, and DSC studies revealed low-crystalline SLN and were having positive ζ -potentials after three-months of storage. Results indicated mixed lipid-matrix produced SLN with low-crystallinity and smaller particle sizes and higher drug entrapment compared with SLN prepared with stearic acid alone, therefore SLN-B would be suitable for the preparation of nanosuspension. Nanosuspensions were subjected to rheological and physicochemical evaluation, in vitro drug release and ex vivo corneal permeation studies and their effect were evaluated on corneal hydration-level. SLN composed of stearic acid and compritol would prove to be a good ocular drug delivery system considering the smaller particle size, particle size stability, and physiologically tolerable components.

In the current study, four formulae (BNS1-BNS4) of butenafine (BTF) loaded nanosponges (NS) were fabricated by solvent emulsification technology, using different concentration of ethyl cellulose (EC) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a rate retarding polymer and surfactant, respectively. Prepared NS were characterized for particle size (PS), polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential (ZP), entrapment efficiency (EE) and drug loading (DL). Nanocarrier BNS3 was optimized based on the particle characterizations and drug encapsulation. It was further evaluated for physicochemical characterizations; FTIR, DSC, XRD and SEM. Selected NS BNS3 composed of BTF (100 mg), EC (200 mg) and 0.3% of PVA showed, PS (543 ± 0.67 nm), PDI (0.330 ± 0.02), ZP (−33.8 ± 0.89 mV), %EE (71.3 ± 0.34%) and %DL (22.8 ± 0.67%), respectively. Fabricated NS also revealed; polymer-drug compatibility, drug-encapsulation, non-crystalline state of the drug in the spherical NS as per the physicochemical evaluations. Optimized NS (BNS3) with equivalent amount of (1%, w/w or w/v) BTF was incorporated into the (1%, w/w or w/v) carbopol gel. BTF loaded NS based gel was then evaluated for viscosity, spreadability, flux, drug diffusion, antifungal, stability and skin irritation studies. BNS3 based topical gels exhibited a flux rate of 0.18 (mg/cm2.h), drug diffusion of 89.90 ± 0.87% in 24 h with Higuchi model following anomalous non-Fickian drug release. The BNS3 based-gel could be effective against pathogenic fungal strains.