CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

The potential of soy protein based-films (SPI) as drug delivery devices for ocular therapy was developed. Crosslinked films with a natural and non-cytotoxic crosslinking agent, genipin (Gen), coated with poly (lactic acid) (PLA), were prepared and loaded with timolol maleate (TM) as a model drug, to beused as drug delivery devices. The mechanical properties of the films were studied, observing that with the presence of PLA coating, more rigid materials with improved properties were obtained. Furthermore, the release behavior of TM was evaluated in aqueous medium, it being influenced by the degree of filmcrosslinking. This behavior was observed via indirect estimation of the release by assessing the hypotensive effectiveness of the films by in-vivo assays. Through intraocular pressure (IOP) determination tests in rabbits, it was demonstrated that, through the use of high crosslinked and coatedfilms, a significant decrease in IOP could be achieved for prolonged time periods.