Chloramphenicol Application Onto the Eyelid: Transfersomes for Enhanced Skin Delivery

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Ophthalmology
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Bacterial conjunctivitis requires effective topical treatments.
• Conventional ophthalmic formulations may have limited drug penetration.
• Transfersomes offer potential for enhanced topical drug delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare and characterize chloramphenicol (CAM)-loaded transfersomes.
• To evaluate the suitability of CAM-loaded transfersomes for eyelid application in treating conjunctivitis.
• To assess the stability and permeation enhancement of the developed formulation.

Main Methods:

• Preparation and characterization of chloramphenicol-loaded transfersomes.
• Assessment of particle size, polydispersity index, and encapsulation efficiency.
• Evaluation of vesicle deformability, biocompatibility, and skin permeation.
• Rheological studies of the jellified formulation for eyelid application.
• Stability testing of the formulation over three months.

Main Results:

• CAM-loaded transfersomes were successfully prepared with an average size of ~120 nm and high encapsulation efficiency (84%).
• The formulation exhibited good vesicle deformability, biocompatibility, and significantly enhanced skin permeation compared to conventional formulations.
• The optimized fluid gel formulation showed adequate rheological properties for eyelid application and maintained physical and chemical stability for three months.

Conclusions:

• Eyelid administration of CAM-loaded transfersomes represents a promising strategy for bacterial conjunctivitis treatment.
• Transfersomes enhance chloramphenicol permeability, offering a potential improvement over existing ophthalmic treatments.
• The developed nanocarrier system demonstrates favorable characteristics for topical ocular drug delivery.