DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF MOXIFLOXACIN HYDROCHLORIDE LOADED POLY LACTIC-CO-GLYCOLIC ACID NANOPARTICLES FOR OCULAR DRUG DELIVERY

In general, ocular efficacy is strongly related to ocular drug bioavailability, which may be enhanced by prolonging precorneal drug residence time and increasing corneal drug penetration. Hence, the present study involves the development, characterization and evaluation of biodegradable moxifloxacin hydrochloride nano-particles intended for ocular use. Nano-particles were prepared by nano-precipitation technique using poly lactic-co-glycolic acid. 32 factorial designs were applied to optimize the drug formulation. The effect of independent variables such as drug-to-polymer ratio and speed of homogenizers on entrapment efficiency and particle size were investigated. Studies such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were carried out on the selected formula. In-vitro release study showed extended drug release. Hen’s egg chorioallantoic membrane (HET-CAM) test was used for the evaluation of ocular tolerance, which showed the non-irritant efficacy of the developed formulation. These results express the applicability of encapsulating moxifloxacin hydrochloride biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles for ocular delivery.