European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION STUDIES OF LEVOFLOXACIN HEMIHYDRATE (LVF) LOADED NLCS FOR OCULAR DELIVERY AND COMPARISON WITH VARIOUS MARKETED FORMULATIONS

Madhavi More, Achyut Chalodiya, Udit Shah, Deepesh Jain, Rutu Patel and Shubhangi Aher*

ABSTRACT

In recent studies, there has been an extensive increase in fluoroquinolone-resistant conjunctivitis. The current study’s objective was to prepare and optimize Levofloxacin Hemihydrate (LVF)-loaded NLCs for conjunctivitis treatment. It aims to provide sustained release, which can improve corneal permeation and tend to decrease the adverse side effects as observed in other fluoroquinolones. Levofloxacin Hemihydrate (LVF)-loaded NLCs with particle size 239.7nm, polydispersity index 0.182 and entrapment efficiency % (EE) 86.21% were achieved. The Franz diffusion cells were used for the ex-vivo tests of the NLCs formulation. The NLCs formulation provided nearly 65.77% in-vitro release and 55.23% ex-vivo release in 8 hours of time span. The in-vitro corneal permeation was discovered to be comparable with the novel formulation, demonstrating the practical use of the optimised NLCs. The antimicrobial studies of the NLCs formulation were performed against E. coli and S. aureus strains. Against E. coli and S. aureus, the improved NLCs formulation was found to be more effective compared to the marketed eye drops of other fluoroquinolones. This effectiveness was confirmed using antimicrobial tests mainly consisting of zones of inhibition testing and minimum inhibitory concentration testing. The results obtained from the above studies concluded that NLCs are an efficient form of ocular drug delivery system. Levofloxacin Hemihydrate (LVF) is compatible with NLCs as a drug delivery system and is efficiently and sustainably delivered at the ocular target sites. Ocular drug permeability is observed in Levofloxacin Hemihydrate (LVF)-loaded NLCs used in the form of eye drops.

Keywords: Levofloxacin Hemihydrate (LVF), Fluoroquinolones, NLCs, Nanoformulation, Ocular Drug Delivery.