Studies on pomegranate seed oil enriched galantamine hydrobromide microemulsion: formulation, in vitro antioxidant and neuroprotective potential

Abstract

Pomegranate seed oil with its high levels of phenolic compounds is known to exhibit neuroprotective effects. Delivering hydrophilic drugs to the brain is challenging since blood–brain barrier allows only a few lipophilic molecules into the brain, thus posing an additional barrier for drug delivery to the brain in conditions like Alzheimer’s. The present study focuses on the preparation of the stable galantamine hydrobromide (GHBr) microemulsion (ME) using pomegranate seed oil (PSO) as an adjuvant. The developed ME was characterized for various physicochemical properties, cytotoxicity, and protective role against Amyloid Beta (1–42) oligomer-induced toxicity in IMR 32 cell line. GHBr and PSO ratio was optimized based on an in-vitro diffusion study and compatibility study using DSC and FTIR. The ME was prepared by the water titration method and optimized using the one variable at a time (OVAT) strategy. Globule size and PDI of GHBr PSO ME were found to be 200.36 ± 0.01 nm, and 0.219 ± 0.011 nm respectively. GHBr PSO ME showed significantly better results in terms of cell line toxicity, antioxidant activity and protective effect against Aβ induced cell death. The results obtained showed the potential of using PSO as an effective synergistic agent along with the anti-Alzheimer’s drug for the treatment of disease.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• pomegranate seed oil
• microemulsion
• intranasal delivery
• antioxidant activity
• galantamine hydrobromide

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Additional information

Funding

The corresponding author would like to thank, the Department of Science and Technology and SERB [INSPIRE Grant No: IFA-LSBM-13 and EMR/2016/007966/HS] for project funds. All other authors are grateful to the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizer for providing fellowship.