Abstract

PH SENSITIVE HYDROGELS OF LEVOFLOXACIN HEMIHYDRATE FOR OPHTHALMIC DRUG DELIVERY

Prachi Saxena*, Swatantra K. S. Kushwaha

Abstract

To achieve effective ophthalmic therapy, an adequate amount of active ingredient must be delivered and maintained within the eye. The most frequently used dosage forms i.e., eye solutions, eye ointments, eye gels and eye suspensions are compromised in their effectiveness by several limitations leading to poor ocular bioavailability. Stimuli sensitive hydrogels are of very importance in this regard, they undergo reversible volume and/or sol-gel phase transitions in response to physiological (temperature, pH and presence of ions in organism fluids, enzyme substrate) or other external (electric current, light) stimuli. They help to increase in precorneal residence time of drug to a sufficient extent that an ocularly delivered drug can exhibit its maximum biological action. The present work describes the formulation and evaluation of pH sensitive ophthalmic Hydrogels of an Antibacterial agent, “Levofloxacin hemihydrate”. “Levofloxacin” is a widely used drug for treatment of acute conjunctivitis. However Conventional ophthalmic dosage forms of Levofloxacin generally suffer the drawbacks of poor bioavailability due to its pH dependent solubility. To increase the solubility of Levofloxacin, the pH Sensitive ophthalmic hydrogels of the drug were formulated along with β-Cyclodextrin. Carbopol 940 was used as the gelling agent in combination with Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (+3000cps) which acted as a viscosity enhancing agent. The developed formulation was therapeutically efficacious, stable, and non-irritant and provided sustained release of the drug over a 6-h period. The developed system is thus a viable alternative to conventional eye drops.

Keywords: Ophthalmic; pH sensitive; hydrogel; Levofloxacin; instillation; viscosity