Development of Anti-Inflammatory Drug–Based Deep Eutectic Solvents for Ointment Formulation
Disciplines
Medicinal-Pharmaceutical Chemistry
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Topical drug delivery is often limited by poor solubility and bioavailability of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Deep eutectic solvents (DES) have emerged as promising green alternatives that enhance solubility, stability, and penetration, making them attractive for topical formulations. This study focused on the design, synthesis, and characterization of DES systems using two widely used anti-inflammatory drugs, ibuprofen and aspirin, with various hydrogen bond donors to evaluate their potential application in ointment bases. Ibuprofen DES were prepared with different co-formers, while aspirin DES were synthesized with menthol in a 1:3 molar ratio. The prepared DES mixtures were analyzed using Attenuated Total Reflectance–Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR–FTIR) spectroscopy, which confirmed hydrogen bonding interactions and functional group shifts, indicating therapeutic DES formation. Ibuprofen-based DES displayed significant broadening of O–H stretching bands (3100–3400 cm⁻¹) and a downward shift in the C=O stretching peak from ~1720 cm⁻¹, while aspirin-based DES showed O–H broadening and shifts in both the ester C=O band (~1750 cm⁻¹) and the carboxylic acid C=O band (~1680 cm⁻¹). These results confirm stable therapeutic DES formation for both ibuprofen and aspirin, demonstrating that each drug can be successfully incorporated into eutectic systems to yield stable formulations capable of improving drug solubility and delivery. Overall, this work highlights the pharmaceutical potential of c DES systems for enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of anti-inflammatory drugs in topical applications, with future research directed toward evaluating biological activity, storage stability, and clinical relevance.
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Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM – Chemistry and Biochemistry
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Mohammad Halim
Development of Anti-Inflammatory Drug–Based Deep Eutectic Solvents for Ointment Formulation
Topical drug delivery is often limited by poor solubility and bioavailability of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Deep eutectic solvents (DES) have emerged as promising green alternatives that enhance solubility, stability, and penetration, making them attractive for topical formulations. This study focused on the design, synthesis, and characterization of DES systems using two widely used anti-inflammatory drugs, ibuprofen and aspirin, with various hydrogen bond donors to evaluate their potential application in ointment bases. Ibuprofen DES were prepared with different co-formers, while aspirin DES were synthesized with menthol in a 1:3 molar ratio. The prepared DES mixtures were analyzed using Attenuated Total Reflectance–Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR–FTIR) spectroscopy, which confirmed hydrogen bonding interactions and functional group shifts, indicating therapeutic DES formation. Ibuprofen-based DES displayed significant broadening of O–H stretching bands (3100–3400 cm⁻¹) and a downward shift in the C=O stretching peak from ~1720 cm⁻¹, while aspirin-based DES showed O–H broadening and shifts in both the ester C=O band (~1750 cm⁻¹) and the carboxylic acid C=O band (~1680 cm⁻¹). These results confirm stable therapeutic DES formation for both ibuprofen and aspirin, demonstrating that each drug can be successfully incorporated into eutectic systems to yield stable formulations capable of improving drug solubility and delivery. Overall, this work highlights the pharmaceutical potential of c DES systems for enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of anti-inflammatory drugs in topical applications, with future research directed toward evaluating biological activity, storage stability, and clinical relevance.