title: Chitosan as tear substitute: a wetting agent endowed with antimicrobial efficacy.
abstract: A cationic biopolymer, chitosan, is proposed for use in artificial tear formulations. It is endowed with good wetting properties as well as an antibacterial effect that are desirable in cases of dry eye, which is often complicated by secondary infections. Solutions containing 0.5% w/v of a low molecular weight (M(w)) chitosan (160 kDa) were assessed for antibacterial efficacy against E. coli and S. aureus by using the usual broth-dilution technique. The in vitro evaluation showed that concentrations of chitosan as low as 0.0375% still exert a bacteriostatic effect against E. coli. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of chitosan were calculated to be as low as 0.375 mg/ml for E. coli and 0.15 mg/ml for S. aureus. Gamma scintigraphic studies demonstrated that chitosan formulations remain on the precorneal surface as long as commonly used commercial artificial tears (Protagent collyrium and Protagent-SE unit-dose) having a 5-fold higher viscosity.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Felt
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carrel
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Baehni
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Buri
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gurny
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D002686:Chitin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048271:Chitosan; D003315:Cornea / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011817:Rabbits; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects*; D014783:Viscosity; D017155:Wettability
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001704:Biopolymers; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D002686:Chitin; D048271:Chitosan