FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF IN SITU GEL FOR BACTERIAL KERTATITS BY BESIFLOXACIN HYDROCHLORIDE
Shefali Usrethe
ABSTRACT
Bacterial keratitis is a serious ocular infection that can lead to vision impairment if not effectively treated. Conventional eye drops suffer from rapid precorneal elimination, leading to reduced bioavailability and frequent dosing. The present study aimed to develop and evaluate a Pluronic F127-based in situ gel formulation of Besifloxacin hydrochloride to enhance ocular residence time, improve drug bioavailability, and provide sustained therapeutic action. Formulations were prepared using varying concentrations of Pluronic F127, Carbopol 934, and HPMC 15 cps, and were evaluated for drug content, pH, in situ gelling capacity, viscosity, in vitro drug release, and stability. Among all formulations, F6 exhibited optimal characteristics, including high drug content (99.02 ± 0.22%), suitable pH (5.0 ± 0.1) and immediate gelation with extended retention, favorable viscosity, and sustained drug release (96.65% over 5 hours). Stability studies indicated minimal changes in drug content and gelling capacity over 30 days under accelerated conditions. The optimized formulation demonstrates potential as an effective ocular drug delivery system for the treatment of bacterial keratitis, offering improved therapeutic efficacy and patient compliance.
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