Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; University of Malaya Centre for Ionic Liquids (UMCiL), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 2 University of Malaya Centre for Ionic Liquids (UMCiL), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Chemical Engineering Program, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Muscat University, P.O. Box 550, Muscat P.C. 130, Oman. Electronic address: maan_hayyan@yahoo.com
  • 3 Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: ngoh@um.edu.my
  • 4 Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 5 School of Biosciences, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
J Control Release, 2019 12 28;316:168-195.
PMID: 31669211 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2019.09.019

Abstract

The applications of eutectic systems, including deep eutectic solvents (DESs), in diverse sectors have drawn significant interest from researchers, academicians, engineers, medical scientists, and pharmacists. Eutecticity increases drug dissolution, improves drug penetration, and acts as a synthesis route for drug carriers. To date, DESs have been extensively explored as potential drug delivery systems on account of their unique properties such as tunability and chemical and thermal stability. This review discusses two major topics: first, the application of eutectic mixtures (before and after the introduction of DES) in the field of drug delivery systems, and second, the most promising examples of DES pharmaceutical activity. It also considers future prospects in the medical and biotechnological fields. In addition to the application of DESs in drug delivery systems, they show greatly promising pharmaceutical activities, including anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-cancer activities. Eutecticity is a valid strategy for overcoming many obstacles inherently associated with either introducing new drugs or enhancing drug delivery systems.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.