The following is a summary of “Enhanced systematic delivery of fluconazole-loaded biotin-glutathione functionalized chitosan-g-proline carrier into the infected retinitis treatment,” published in the January 2024 issue of Ophthalmology by Guo et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to develop a polymer-based, facile, and effective drug carrier approach for treating superficial fungal infections in retinopathy.
They fabricated biotin-glutathione (B-GHS) functionalized with chitosan grafted proline (CS-g-P) moieties, incorporating fluconazole (FLZ) for retinopathy treatment. The carriers ‘ chemical structural and phase changes were characterized using FT-IR and XRD techniques. SEM analysis revealed a spherical morphology with an interconnected particle nature.
The result showed that the particle diameters were 6.5 nm and 8.6 nm for CS-g-P/B-GHS and FLZ-loaded CS-g-P/B-GHS carriers. The negative surface charges were determined as -20.7 mV and -32.2 mV for CS-g-P/B-GHS and FLZ-loaded CS-g-P/B-GHS based on zeta potential analysis. In vitro release studies of FLZ from CS-g-P/B-GHS were conducted at pH 7.4 (PBS) to mimic tear fluid conditions, revealing an 85.02% release of FLZ within 8 hours, indicating sustained release for prolonged therapeutic effects. The antifungal efficacy of the carrier was evaluated through minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and percentage inhibition of viable fungal count against Candida albicans, resulting in an 81.02% zone of inhibition by the FLZ carrier.
Investigators concluded that FLZ-loaded CS-g-P/B-GHS carriers show promise as a novel treatment for superficial fungal infections in the retina.
Source: bmcophthalmol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12886-024-03305-z
