In vitro scleral lutein distribution by cyclodextrin containing nanoemulsions

Lutein is a macular pigment that contributes to maintaining eye health. The development of lutein-laden nanocarriers for ocular delivery would have the advantages of user friendliness and cost-effectiveness. Nano-scaled vehicles such as cyclodextrin (CD) and nanoemulsion could overcome the barriers caused by the scleral structure. This study focused on the development of hybrid nanocarriers containing nanoemulsion and CD for scleral lutein accumulation. In the presence of the nanoemulsion, CD forms such as βCD and hydroxyethyl (HE) βCD increased the partition of lutein into the porcine sclera. A combination of nanoemulsion and 2% HEβCD enhanced lutein accumulation to 119±6 µg g(-1) h(-1), which was 9.2-fold higher than that with lutein suspension alone. We explored the dose effect of CD in nanoemulsion on scleral lutein and found that the scleral accumulation of lutein was enhanced by increasing the CD content. The novel nanoemulsion had 95% drug-loading efficiency and low cytotoxicity in retinal cells. The CD-modified nanoemulsion not only improved the stability and entrapment efficacy of lutein in the aqueous system but also enhanced scleral lutein accumulation. An increase in the partition coefficient of lutein in porcine sclera when using the CD-modified nanoemulsion was also confirmed.