Thermosensitive chitosan-based hydrogels for sustained release of ferulic acid on corneal wound healing

•FA could decrease the inflammation-level and apoptosis of corneal epithelial cells.•The FA-loaded chitosan-based hydrogel showed a sustained release profile.•Thermosensitive FA-loaded hydrogel may accelerate the corneal wound healing.•The developed hydrogel may provide an alternative to traditional eye drops.•The developed hydrogel may be used in treatment of corneal alkali burn. Oxidative damage to cornea can be induced by alkaline chemical burn which may cause vision loss or blindness. Recent studies showed that exogenous application of natural antioxidants may be a potential treatment for corneal wound healing. However, low ocular bioavailability and short residence time are the limiting factors of topically administered antioxidants. Ferulic acid (FA) is a natural phenolic compound and an excellent antioxidant. The study was aimed to investigate the effects of FA in corneal epithelial cells (CECs) under oxidative stress and evaluate the feasibility of use the thermosensitive chitosan-based hydrogel containing FA for corneal wound healing. The results demonstrated that post-treatment of FA on CECs could decrease the inflammation-level and apoptosis. In the rabbit corneal alkali burn model, post-treatment FA-loaded hydrogel may promote the corneal wound healing. The results of study suggest that FA-loaded hydrogel may have the potential applications in treating corneal alkali burn.