Synthesis and Characterization of Chitosan Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Ocular Medications — 45a — Caleb DeWitt

Ocular drug delivery to the anterior eye has proven itself as a prevalent issue in recent years. The corneal epithelium acts as a hydrophilic barrier, while the stroma acts as lipophilic barrier, making the delivery of both hydrophilic and lipid drugs difficult. Chitosan is a polysaccharide with multiple bioactive characteristics that has recently been recognized for its ability to penetrate the corneal barrier . The goal of this research is to develop chitosan nanoparticles optimized for ocular drug delivery to the inner eye. Chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NP) were synthesized through an ionic gelation process, yielding an average diameter of 167 nm with an accompanying PDI of 0.432, determined by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). The antibiotic, norfloxacin and a natural product, zingerone, will be loaded into the capsules during synthesis and tested for their retention times with synthetic tear solutions. A microfluidic device will be used to monitor the penetration of the nanoparticles in ocular tissue.

Augustana University
Dr. Jetty Duffy-Matzner