Box-Behnken Designed Fluconazole Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles for Ocular Delivery

Box-Behnken Designed Fluconazole Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles for Ocular Delivery

The present study aimed to develop chitosan nanoparticles containing Fluconazole for ocular delivery using Box-Behnken design. The Fluconazole loaded chitosan nanoparticles were prepared by an ionic gelation method using Sodium tripolyphosphate (NaTPP) as cross linking agent. The effect of the factors - concentration of chitosan (x1), concentration of NaTPP (x2) and volume of NaTPP (x3) was studied on release of drug from nanoparticles. The results revealed that entrapment efficiency was highest at low level of chitosan concentration, high level of NaTPP concentration and low levels of NaTPP volume. The optimized batch (NP 3) showed encapsulation efficiency of 63.1%, particle size of 471 nm, ovoid shape surface morphology and in vitro cumulative percentage of drug release 39.19% in 7 h.