Fungal keratitis causes corneal blindness worldwide. The treatment includes antibiotics, with Natamycin being the most commonly used; however, fungal keratitis is difficult to treat, so alternative therapies are needed. In situ gelling formulations are a promising alternative; this type of formulation has the advantages of eye drops combined with the advantages of ointments. This study was designed to develop and characterize three formulations containing 0.5% CSP: CSP-O1, CSP-O2, and CSP-O3. CSP is an antifungal drug that acts against a diverse variety of fungi, and Poloxamer 407 (P407) is a polymer of synthetic origin that is able to produce biocompatible, biodegradable, highly permeable gels and is known to be thermoreversible. Short-term stability showed that formulations are best stored at 4 °C, and rheological analysis showed that the only formulation able to gel in situ was CSP-O3. In vitro release studies indicated that CSP-O1 releases CSP most rapidly, while in vitro permeation studies showed that CSP-O3 permeated the most. The ocular tolerance study showed that none of the formulations caused eye irritation. However, CSP-O1 decreased the cornea's transparency. Histological results indicate that the formulations are suitable for use, with the exception of CSP-O3, which induced slight structural changes in the scleral structure. All formulations were shown to have antifungal activity. In view of the results obtained, these formulations could be promising candidates for use in the treatment of fungal keratitis.
Keywords: antifungal activity; caspofungin; ocular drug delivery; ocular gels; ocular infection; poloxamer 407.