DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/acph-2026-0012
Article ID: 260012 (41 pages)
Review article
Deep eutectic solvents in pharmaceutical applications: A review
Abstract
Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have attracted considerable attention in recent years for their expanding applications within the pharmaceutical industry, largely due to their high efficiency, easy separability, and biocompatibility. Composed of hydrogen-bond donors and hydrogen-bond acceptors, some DESs exhibit low toxicity, good biodegradability, and excellent solubilizing capability, making them attractive alternatives to conventional organic solvents in drug synthesis, extraction and delivery. This review systematically examines the diverse pharmaceutical applications of DESs, with particular emphasis on their ability to enhance drug solubility and bioavailability. In plant extraction, DESs significantly improve the efficiency of recovering active pharmaceutical ingredients from natural sources, offering a more environmentally benign alternative to traditional solvents such as diethyl ether. In drug synthesis, DESs function not only as reaction media but also, in certain systems, as catalytic environments, thereby improving reaction efficiency and selectivity while reducing environmental impact. Furthermore, in drug delivery applications, DESs enhance both transdermal and oral drug absorption through their interactions with biological membranes, leading to markedly improved delivery efficiency. Despite these advantages, challenges remain, including high viscosity, formulation complexity, and unresolved regulatory considerations. Continued research focused on physicochemical optimization, formulation design, and safety evaluation will be essential to overcome these limitations and to fully realize the potential of DESs in pharmaceutical processes.
Keywords
deep eutectic solvents, plant extraction, drug synthesis, drug delivery, hydrogen bond
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