In ophthalmology, developing effective drug delivery systems is crucial to overcome anatomical and physiological barriers, such as rapid tear turnover and blinking, which limit the efficacy of conventional formulations like eye drops. Poloxamers, especially the derivatives 407 (P407) and 188, are amphiphilic triblock copolymers characterized by an intriguing thermo-reversible behavior, making them ideal candidates for the development of in situ hydrogels for ocular applications. Various thermo-sensitive poloxamer-based hydrogels were designed to be easily instilled as liquids at room temperature, gelling promptly upon contact with the corneal surface. These systems promoted a controlled release of active compounds, significantly improving their adhesion to the ocular surface. This review discusses the most relevant scientific literature on the topic, with particular attention to studies published in recent years. The results demonstrated that poloxamer formulations are capable of overcoming typical ocular barriers, thereby increasing drug bioavailability. The intrinsic biocompatibility of poloxamers contributes to the safety and tolerability of the system. Furthermore, P407 showed additional wound healing features. The combination of biocompatibility and thermo-reversible behavior makes poloxamer-based hydrogels a promising platform for the development of innovative ocular drug delivery systems able to enhance therapeutic efficacy and patient comfort.

Nanotechnology has been widely employed in the field of cosmeceuticals, promoting the development of innovative cosmetic formulations characterized by notable pharmacological activity. The use of nanocosmeceuticals allows for better skin penetration of active compounds, their controlled release over time, and greater physico-chemical stability. Chitosan nanoparticles have generated significant interest in the scientific community as dermal and transdermal delivery systems for natural compounds. In particular, the encapsulation of polyphenols within chitosan nanosystems has been proposed as a method to enhance the effectiveness of bioactives in cosmeceutical formulations. This review discusses the most relevant scientific literature on the topic, with particular attention to studies published in recent years. Chitosan-based nanosystems improve the stability, bioavailability, and skin compatibility of polyphenols, offering promising solutions for the prevention and treatment of skin disorders due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This review provides a comprehensive update on the development of chitosan nanoparticles containing polyphenols and their potential clinical applications, highlighting the role of these systems as nanocosmeceuticals.

Niaprazine is a sedative-hypnotic drug initially developed as an antihistamine and used for its notable sedative effects, particularly in children. Following its withdrawal from the market by the producer, the drug has been administered as magistral formulations available in syrup form, but there are several important disadvantages to this, including instability, taste issues, lack of controlled release, and the potential for unreliable dosing due to incomplete swallowing. There is also an increased risk of dental caries, as well as the fact that these formulations are not suitable for children who suffer from diabetes. The purpose of the current investigation is to prepare and characterize xanthan gum-based gels for the oral administration of niaprazine. Niaprazine gels appear as transparent-whiteish, non-sticky substances, with the drug uniformly dispersed throughout the systems. They are also stable over time. Dynamic rheology revealed their advantageous shear-thinning properties, which enable the formulation to be flexibly dosed orally through administration via syringe. During experimentation, the evaluation of the mucoadhesion features and the in vitro drug release profile were also performed. The results demonstrate that the formulation may represent an alternative to niaprazine syrup, allowing easy preparation, administration, and increased compliance in various categories of patients, including pediatric.

Background/Objectives: Poloxamine 908 (P908), an amphiphilic block copolymer with thermo- and pH-responsive properties, was demonstrated to be a biomaterial that can be employed for the development of injectable hydrogels. The present study aimed to investigate the influence of nanoparticles with different chemical compositions and surface properties on the properties of P908 hydrogels. Methods: Poloxamer 188 (P188)-PLGA, P188-zein and sodium deoxycholate (SD)-zein nanoparticles obtained by nanoprecipitation were incorporated into 30% (w/w) P908 hydrogels using the cold preparation method. The formulations were characterized by rheological analysis, dissolution studies, FT-IR spectroscopy, in vitro release analysis using rutin as a model compound, and DPPH radical scavenging assay to evaluate the bioactivity of nanoparticles contained within the hydrogel matrix. Results: The incorporation of nanosystems preserved the injectability and thermoresponsive behavior of P908 hydrogels and affected their rheological and dissolution properties in different ways. P188-PLGA NPs increased viscosity by approximately 23%, whereas P188-zein NPs caused a slight decrease of approximately 9%, compared with plain P908 at 37 °C and 1 s⁻¹. Both formulations showed a moderate increase in T_sol–gel, reaching 28.5 and 28.8 °C, respectively, compared with 26.4 °C for plain P908 systems. A more pronounced effect was observed with SD-zein NPs, which reduced viscosity by approximately 29% and shifted T_sol–gel to 33.9 °C. Moreover, SD-zein NPs enhanced hydrogel dissolution under acidic conditions, with complete dissolution occurring after 6 h at pH 5.0 compared with 8 h at pH 7.0. FT-IR demonstrated the effective inclusion of the colloidal systems within the P908 matrix. Nanocomposite hydrogels provided a more sustained release of rutin with respect to that obtained without the copolymeric matrix, with positively charged P188-zein nanosystems showing an enhanced release at acidic pH, likely due to electrostatic repulsion with the protonated P908 network. DPPH assay confirmed that the inclusion of rutin-loaded nanoparticles into P908 hydrogels preserved the antioxidant activity of the active compound, with a slight increase in radical scavenging capacity, due to the intrinsic mild antioxidant capacity of the copolymeric matrix. Conclusions: P908 is a suitable biomaterial to develop nanocomposite hydrogels. The composition and surface properties of nanoparticles allow for the modulation of hydrogel features, enabling the design of therapeutic formulations with tailored rheological properties and characteristics of drug release.