Conventional ocular drug delivery systems are often limited by low bioavailability and short residence times at the ocular surface, motivating the development of alternative delivery platforms. In this study, vitamin C-loaded contact lenses were prepared using a simple soaking technique and systematically evaluated. Two commercial lenses, Senofilcon A and Hilafilcon B, were immersed in vitamin C solutions, and their loading efficiency, release kinetics, stability, water content, and oxygen permeability were investigated. Vitamin C release was quantified using UV-Vis spectrometry and analyzed using zero-order, first-order, Higuchi, and Korsmeyer–Peppas models. Hilafilcon B exhibited higher vitamin C loading and cumulative release (∼14 µg/mL) than Senofilcon A (∼10 µg/mL), consistent with its higher hydrophilicity and equilibrium water content (∼56% compared to ∼29%). Kinetic analysis indicated that the vitamin C release from both lenses was best described by the Korsmeyer–Peppas model (Hilafilcon B, n = 0.610; Senofilcon A, n = 0.783), suggesting anomalous transport behavior. Vitamin C stability was strongly influenced by storage conditions, with refrigerated storage improving stability, while UV exposure accelerated degradation. Overall, these findings demonstrate that vitamin C incorporation via soaking provides a straightforward approach for developing antioxidant-loaded contact lenses with potential relevance for ocular drug delivery.
Lutfhyansyah et al. (Thu,) studied this question.