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

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.