Ferulic Acid-Loaded Polymeric Nanoparticles for Potential Ocular Delivery

Area of Science:

• Nanomedicine
• Polymer Science
• Ocular Drug Delivery

Background:

• Ferulic acid (FA) is a potent antioxidant with therapeutic potential against ROS-related diseases.
• Poor aqueous solubility of FA limits its bioavailability and clinical efficacy.
• Nanomedicine offers a strategy to enhance FA delivery and therapeutic outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) for improved ocular delivery of Ferulic acid (FA).
• To evaluate the physico-chemical properties, encapsulation efficiency, and in vitro release of FA-loaded NPs.
• To assess the stability and morphology of the nanoformulations for potential ocular applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of FA-loaded NPs using polylactic acid (NPA) and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (NPB).
• In vitro cytotoxicity assays on retinal cells, physico-chemical characterization (photon correlation spectroscopy, SEM), and drug loading/release studies (HPLC).
• Stability assessment, cryoprotection, freeze-drying, thermal analysis, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy.

Main Results:

• Developed homogeneous FA-loaded NPs with suitable mean size for ocular delivery.
• Achieved high drug loading efficiency (64.86-75.16%) and demonstrated a controlled in vitro release profile.
• Confirmed physico-chemical stability of the nanoformulations after 28 days of storage.

Conclusions:

• Polymeric nanoparticles (NPA and NPB) are effective carriers for improving Ferulic acid (FA) bioavailability.
• The developed nanoformulations show potential for ocular drug delivery applications.
• Further in vitro and in vivo studies are warranted to confirm the efficacy and safety of FA-loaded NPs.