Abstract
The bacterial species Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) are amongst the main microorganisms that cause ophthalmia neonatorum. The current treatment involves the use of various antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, cephalosporin, ceftriaxone and cefotaxime. However, this treatment strategy is becoming more ineffective due to the antibiotic resistance in N. gonorrhoeae. The current study explores the potential use of fatty acid based microemulsions (ME) to prevent N. gonorrhoeae and S. aureus infections in new-borns’ eyes without harmful side effects such as corneal or conjunctiva irritation. Pseudo-ternary phase diagrams were constructed to evaluate microemulsion regions and six different α-linolenic acid based microemulsions were prepared. The prepared formulations were characterized for α-linolenic acid content, size, transparency, zeta potential, Polarized light Microscopy, antimicrobial activity and ex vivo ocular toxicity. The mean droplet size of the ME formulations was in the range of 190.4 to 350.5 nm and polydispersity index (PDI) values were in the range of 0.102 to 0.561. All formulations were found stable upon storage for at least 8 weeks. In addition, self-diffusion coefficients determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) reflected that the diffusability of water increased at higher than 30% w/w water, while that of fatty acids and surfactants was in reverse. The antimicrobial efficacy of microemulsions was determined against N. gonorrhoeae and S. aureus. It was concluded that all microemulsions have strong antimicrobial effects against N. gonorrhoeae and S. aureus. Finally, bovine corneal opacity permeability (BCOP) and hen’s egg chorioallantoic (HET-CAM) tests results showed that all microemulsion formulations were not strong ocular irritants.
Highlights
Ophthalmia neonatorum is a form of conjunctivitis in new-borns, usually contracted during birth from passage through the infected birth canal of the mother [1]
Absorbance was measured by UV spectrophotometer at 350 nm to determine the solubility of α-linolenic acid in various surfactants
The results showed that both N. gonorrhoeae and S. aureus were susceptible to all ME formulations
Summary
Ophthalmia neonatorum is a form of conjunctivitis in new-borns, usually contracted during birth from passage through the infected birth canal of the mother [1]. Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the cause of the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhoea [2] and the cause of ophthalmia neonatorum. Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae) accounts for 30% to 45% of ophthalmia cases [3,4]. Transmitted bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), can cause. N. gonorrhoeae infection is of particular concern as it cannot be successfully treated, it can cause corneal ulceration and perforation of the globe of the eye, which can rapidly lead to blindness. The neonatal bacterial eye infections can potentially spread, causing life threatening conditions such as septicaemia and meningitis. Opthalmia neonatorum occurs in 1% to 12% of new-born infants and leads to blindness in approximately 10,000 babies annually worldwide [5]
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