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Updated: Jun 10, 2025
Spatio-Temporal In Vivo Imaging of Ocular Drug Delivery Systems using Fiberoptic Confocal Laser Microendoscopy
Published on: September 27, 2021
Development of transferosomes for topical ocular drug delivery of curcumin
Geisa Nascimento Barbalho1, Stefan Brugger2, Christian Raab3
1Buchanan Ocular Therapeutics Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, Aotearoa-New Zealand National Eye Centre, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand; Laboratory of Food, Drugs and Cosmetics (LTMAC), University of Brasilia, Brasilia 70910-900, DF, Brazil.
Background:
Transferosomes (TFS) are ultra-deformable elastic bilayer vesicles that have previously been used to enhance gradient driven penetration through the skin. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of TFS for topical ocular drug delivery and to compare their penetration enhancing properties in different ocular tissues.
Methods:
Curcumin-loaded TFS were prepared using Tween 80 as the edge activator. Drug release and precorneal retention of the TFS were evaluated in vitro, while their ocular biocompatibility and bioavailability were evaluated ex vivo using a curcumin solution in medium chain triglycerides as the oily control.
Results:
The TFS had a narrow size distribution with a particle size less than 150 nm and an entrapment efficiency greater than 99.96 %. Burst release from the TFS was minimal and the formulation showed good corneal biocompatibility. Moreover, enhanced corneal and conjunctival drug penetration with significantly greater and deeper drug delivery was observed with TFS.
Conclusion:
TFS offer a promising platform for ocular delivery of hydrophobic drugs. This study, for the first time, elucidates the effect of tissue morphology and osmotic gradients on drug penetration in different ocular tissues.
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