Magnesium Oxide (MgO) encapsulated liposomes for cosmetic applications

Magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO NPs) have attracted much attention due to their unique biocompatibility and their lack of toxicity, especially in the biomedical field. Liposomes have attracted considerable interest in cosmetics for their ability to enhance drug delivery to target tissues. This study aimed to develop and characterize liposomal formulations encapsulating MgO NPs for drug delivery, controlled release and improvement of skin tolerance in cosmetic applications. MgO NPs were synthesized by precipitating Mg(NO₃)₂·6H₂O with NaOH, then washed, dried (80 °C) and calcined (500 °C, 4 h) and subsequently were characterized by powder X-ray power diffraction to evaluate the formation, crystalline phase morphologies, microstructures and chemical compositions. Liposomes were prepared using the thin-film hydration method with DSPC and DOPC, and in some formulations poloxamer 407 was included as a stabilizing agent. MgO was incorporated during the hydration step. The resulting formulations were studied for their stability over a period of 3 weeks and characterized by DLS and thermogravimetric analysis. DLS measurements indicated that the MgO-loaded liposomes had a narrow size distribution, indicating good homogeneity, zeta potential measurements confirmed that the system remained stable even after 21 days. In conclusion, MgO NPs were efficiently encapsulated on liposomal carriers, forming stable nanosystems with desirable physicochemical characteristics.