Fluconazole nanoparticles prepared by antisolvent precipitation technique: Physicochemical, in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo ocular evaluation

The goal of this research was to prepare and characterize nanonized particles of the antifungal drug, fluconazole (FLZ) using antisolvent precipitation nanonization technique to improve its ocular permeation. The impact of various concentrations of different stabilizers, namely Pluronic F-127 (PL F 127), Kollicoat IR (KL), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose E3 (HPMC), xanthan gum (XG), polyvinyl pyrrolidone K30 (PVP), and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) upon the resulting nanoparticles was investigated. Additionally, the ex vivo release of the FLZ nanonized particles from ophthalmic gel bases was studied by using goat cornea, and the ocular pharmacokinetics of appropriate ophthalmic gel base containing optimized drug nanoparticle formula compared to the untreated drug were studied in rabbits. FLZ nanoparticles were successfully prepared with different concentrations of stabilizers. However, the effects of these stabilizers on nanoparticle size and zeta potential values varied according to the concentration and type of stabilizer used. Based on differential scanning calorimetry, the drug was in its amorphous state in the tested nanoparticle formulations. The results of ex vivo ocular diffusion of the FLZ nanoparticle gel formulations revealed an improvement compared to that with the FLZ untreated gel. Nanoparticle formula (F3) prepared by using 5% PL F127 showed small particle size (352 ± 6.1 nm) with zeta potential value of −18.3 mV with highest ex vivo release rate from goat cornea (100% after 6 h). Moreover, the AUC(0-8h) from ocular application of FLZ from sodium alginate gel containing nanoparticle formula F3 was 1.4-fold higher than that after its administration in the untreated formula. Based on our findings, the ophthalmic gel formulations containing FLZ nanoparticles enhanced drug corneal permeation and improved the ocular pharmacokinetic parameters.