Deep eutectic solvent nanoparticles for enhanced hyaluronic acid intradermal delivery: Anti-aging and moisturizing effects

To address the challenge of poor intradermal penetration of hyaluronic acid (HA), researchers applied deep eutectic solvent (DES) technology within a drug delivery system. In this study, supramolecular HA nanoparticles (Supra HA) were successfully prepared by combining HA and decanoic acid-menthol deep eutectic solvent (DAM-DES). The resulting Supra HA nanoparticles exhibited an average particle size of 124 nm and a zeta potential of -35 mV. The intradermal penetration efficacy of Supra HA was 2.26 times greater than that of GTCC HA. Furthermore, Supra HA significantly increased type I collagen synthesis in fibroblasts by 54.0 % and reduced MMP-1 secretion by 57.4 %, demonstrating anti-wrinkle and skin-tightening effects. Under identical conditions, Supra HA enhanced the synthesis of the FLG gene and AQP3 protein in keratinocytes by 55 % and 227.4 %, respectively, indicating skin barrier repair and moisturizing effects. Human clinical trials demonstrated that 28-day application of Supra HA significantly enhanced skin hydration (13.3 % increace), with concurrent improvements in skin elasticity (21.3 % increase), firmness (21.9 % elevation), and wrinkle reduction (20.1 % decrease in count and 23.3 % reduction in area). Collectively, these findings indicate that the utilization of deep eutectic solvents in hyaluronic acid delivery systems facilitates transdermal permeation, thereby contributing to sustained moisturization and anti-aging efficacy.