Design of functional therapeutic deep eutectic solvents based on choline chloride and ascorbic acid

In this work, we report the preparation of novel therapeutic deep eutectic solvents (THEDES) based on choline chloride (CC) and ascorbic acid (AA), in which dexamethasone (DEX) was successfully solubilized. THEDES were synthesized and characterized for thermal behavior and polarized optic microscopy to confirm the formation of a eutectic mixture. The solubility profile of DEX solubilized in THEDES was greatly improved when compared with DEX in powder form. Additionally, the diffusion and permeability of DEX were also slightly increased. The antioxidant properties of AA were maintained up to 6 months when the compound is in THEDES form. Biological tests were also performed, and the results indicate that cell viability varies in a dose-dependent manner. After the half maximal effective concentration (EC50) was determined, a controlled drug delivery system was successfully developed by supercritical fluid sintering of a starch:poly-ε-caprolactone blend doped with THEDES containing solubilized DEX. The present study highlights the potential applicability of THEDES based on CC and AA in the pharmaceutical industry and/or tissue engineering (TE) applications.