Development and physical characterization of chloramphenicol loaded biodegradable nanoparticles for prolonged release

The objectives of our study were to prepare a biodegradable nanoparticulate system of chloramphenicol (CHL) and to evaluate its ability to prolong in vitro release of CHL compared to free drug suspension (FDS). CHL-loaded polylacticle-co-glycolicle nanoparticles (CHL-PLGA-NPs) were prepared by an emulsion/solvent evaporation method using ethyl acetate and polyvinyl alcohol. CHL-PLGA-NPs were characterized by particle size, zeta potential, infrared spectra, drug entrapment efficiency and in vitro release kinetics measurement. Sonication was done with an ultrasound pulse sonicator at 70 W, 30 kHz for 60 s to produce stable NPs of mean size range from 277 nm to 433 nm. Drug to polymer ratio (D: P) was selected as formulation variable and significantly influenced entrapment efficiency (similar to 30% to 66%) and release (p < 0.05). Entrapment of CHL in biodegradable NPs significantly prolonged drug release compared to FDS and thus implies potential antibiotic delivery system for ocular application.