{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,12]],"date-time":"2026-09-12T06:31:12Z","timestamp":1789194672766,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"13","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,21]],"date-time":"2023-06-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1687305600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University","award":["RGP 2\/55\/44"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RGP 2\/55\/44"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Polymers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Innovative hybrid chitosan\u2013sodium alginate (Ch\u2013Ag) microparticles (MPs) were fabricated using both the ionic gelation method as well as the pre-gelation technique. The hybrid Ch\u2013Ag MPs were studied for size, zeta potential, morphology, mucoadhesion, in-vitro release, corneal permeation, and ocular irritation using lens and corneal epithelial cell lines. The average particle size ranged from 1322 nm to 396 nm. The zeta potential for the prepared formulations showed an increase with increasing Ch concentrations up to a value of &gt;35 mV; the polydispersity index (PDI) of some optimized MPs was around 0.1. Compared to drug-free MPs, ketorolac-loaded Ch\u2013Ag MPs demonstrated a drug proportion-dependent increase in their size. SEM, as well as TEM of KT-loaded MPs, confirmed that the formed particles were quasi-spherical to elliptical in shape. The KT release from the MPs demonstrated a prolonged release profile in comparison to the control KT solution. Further, mucoadhesion studies with porcine mucin revealed that the KT-loaded MPs had effective mucoadhesive properties, and polymeric particles were stable in the presence of mucin. Corneal permeation was studied on bovine eyes, and the results revealed that Ch-based MPs were capable of showing more sustained KT release across the cornea compared with that for the control drug solution. Conclusively, the cytotoxicity assay confirmed that the investigated MPs were non-irritant and could confer protection from direct drug irritation of KT on the ocular surface. The MTT cytotoxicity assay confirmed that KT-loaded MPs showed acceptable and reasonable tolerability with both human lens and corneal epithelial cell lines compared to the control samples.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/polym15132773","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,22]],"date-time":"2023-06-22T02:09:17Z","timestamp":1687399757000},"page":"2773","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":17,"title":["Formulation and In-Vitro\/Ex-Vivo Characterization of Pregelled Hybrid Alginate\u2013Chitosan Microparticles for Ocular Delivery of Ketorolac Tromethamine"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Zeinab","family":"Fathalla","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Minia University, Minia 61519, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4608-5949","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Adel Al","family":"Fatease","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha 62223, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4989-5143","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hamdy","family":"Abdelkader","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha 62223, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"400","DOI":"10.1016\/j.drudis.2013.10.001","article-title":"In situ gelling: A strategy to improve the bioavailability of ophthalmic pharmaceutical formulations","volume":"19","author":"Almeida","year":"2014","journal-title":"Drug Discov. 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