Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a highly prevalent disease affecting almost 10% of the world population; it is characterized by acute and chronic conditions. Diabetic patients have twenty-five times higher risk of going blind and developing cataracts early than the general population. Alpha-lipoic acid (LA) is a highly valuable natural antioxidant for the prevention and treatment of ophthalmic complications, such as diabetic keratopathy and retinopathy. However, its applicability is limited due to its low solubility in water; therefore, suitable systems are required for its formulation. In this work we developed an erodible insert based on Eudragit E100 (E PO) and Lipoic Acid (LA) for the delivery of this compound for the preventive treatment of ocular diseases especially in diabetic patients. Film evaluation was carried out by mechanical and thermal properties, mucoadhesivity, drug release, dynamic light scattering and corneal permeability as the concentration of LA increased. It was shown that upon LA release, it forms nanoparticles in combination with E PO that favor corneal permeation and LA retention in the cornea. These E PO-LA films also resulted non-irritable hence they are promising for their application in the treatment of ocular diseases.

We describe the functional capability of a cross-linked hydrogel composed of sulfated glycosaminoglycans and a cationic cellulose by conducting trials on experimental animal models using intra-articular implants to treat an articular disease called osteoarthritis. Forty-eight mature New Zealand white rabbits were divided into three experimental groups: A, B, and C. Group A and B underwent unilateral anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) of the right knee. Subsequently, both knees of group A were treated with the injectable formulation under study. Meanwhile, group B was treated with sterile PBS (placebo). The animals of group C were surgically operated in both knees: Commercial hyaluronic acid (HA) was implanted in the left knee, and the formulation under study was implanted in the right knee. After implantation, all specimens underwent several evaluations at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. At 6 months, no significant differences were detected between the right and left knees of the different groups. However, significant differences were observed between both knees at 12 months in group C, with less cartilage damage in the right knees implanted with our hydrogel. Therefore, in vivo studies have demonstrated hydrogel safety, superior permanence, and less cartilage damage for long-term follow up 12 months after implantation for the formulation under study compared with commercial HA.