title: Voriconazole-Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carriers for Ocular Drug Delivery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To design and evaluate the potential of a topical delivery system for ocular administration of voriconazole, based on cationic nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs).
  
  
  METHODS
  NLC dispersions composed of glyceryl behenate/capric caprylic triglyceride, polysorbate 80, sorbitan trioleate, and cetylpyridinium chloride were obtained and characterized. Ex vivo permeations experiments were performed to evaluate their drug delivery potential.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NLCs presented a mean diameter of 250.2 ± 03.1 nm, narrow polydispersity index (0.288 ± 0.03), positive zeta potential (31.22 ± 3.8 mV), and over 75% encapsulation efficiency. Ex vivo ocular experiments proved that NLCs were able to deliver therapeutically relevant drug amounts to the cornea after only 30 minutes (13.88 ± 0.24 μg/cm).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The formulation was nonexpensive, easy to prepare, and composed of well-tolerated and accepted excipients. Further in vivo experiments are necessary to confirm the improved performance and tolerability of the formulation.
authors.affiliation: *Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmacy-Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, GO, Brasil; and †Laboratory of Food, Drugs and Cosmetics (LTMAC), Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, DF, Brasil.
authors.forename: Lígia M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Kamilla A D
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: Fernando A P
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: De Sá
authors.forename: Ricardo N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Marreto
authors.forename: Eliana M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Tais
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gratieri
authors.forename: Stephânia F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Taveira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; D002645:Chickens; D049033:Chorioallantoic Membrane / Q000187:drug effects; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003315:Cornea / Q000378:metabolism; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D053758:Nanoparticles; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry; D010316:Particle Size; D013552:Swine; D065819:Voriconazole / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D008055:Lipids; D065819:Voriconazole