Formulation and evaluation of magnesium sulphate nanoparticles for improved CNS penetrability

Magnesium (Mg²⁺) is the fourth most abundant cation in the human body and is involved in maintaining varieties of cellular and neurological functions. Magnesium deficiency has been associated with numerous diseases, particularly neurological disorders, and its supplementation has proven beneficial. However, magnesium therapy in neurological diseases is limited because of the inability of magnesium to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The present study focuses on developing magnesium sulphate nanoparticles (MGSN) to improve blood-brain barrier permeability. MGSN was prepared by precipitation technique with probe sonication. The developed formulation was characterized by DLS, EDAX, FT-IR and quantitative and qualitative estimation of magnesium. According to the DLS report, the average size of the prepared MGSN is found to be 247 nm. The haemocompatibility assay studies revealed that the prepared MGSN are biocompatible at different concentrations. The in vitro BBB permeability assay conducted by Parallel Artificial Membrane Permeability Assay (PAMPA) using rat brain tissue revealed that the prepared MGSN exhibited enhanced BBB permeability as compared to the marketed i.v. MgSO₄ injection. The reversal effect of MGSN to digoxin-induced Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase enzyme inhibition using brain microslices confirmed that MGSN could attenuate the altered levels of Na⁺ and K⁺ and is useful in treating neurological diseases with altered expression of Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase activity.