Therapeutic role of deep eutectic solvents based on menthol and saturated fatty acids on wound healing

Abstract

The breakthroughs achieved in green solvents promote the emergence of therapeutic deep eutectic solvents (THEDES), which possess intriguing possible applications in the biomedical field. Herein, the main aim was to unravel the biomedical potential of hydrophobic THEDES based in menthol and saturated fatty acids with different chain lengths (e.g., stearic acid (SA), myristic acid (MA), and lauric acid (LA)). Our comprehensive strategy resulted in the thermophysical characterization of different formulations, which allow one to identify the most suitable molar ratio, as well as the intermolecular interactions behind the successful formation of THEDES. The evaluation of their biological performance was also performed toward bacteria and HaCaT cells. Among the different formulations of THEDES, the one based on menthol and SA establishes stronger hydrogen bonding interactions, being also the most promising formulation because it did not elicit any relevant cytotoxicity, and potentiated wound healing, while presenting antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus epidermis and Staphylococcus aureus strains, some of which were methicillin resistant. This work provides clues on the future use of THEDES based on menthol:SA in wound dressings.