Natural deep eutectic systems as alternative nontoxic cryoprotective agents

Abstract Natural deep eutectic systems (NADES) are mostly composed of natural primary metabolites such as sugars, sugar alcohols, organic acids, amino acids and amines. These simple molecules have been identified in animals living in environments with extreme temperature amplitudes, being responsible for their survival at negative temperatures during winter. Herein, we report for the first time the use of NADES based on trehalose (Treh) and glycerol (Gly) in cryopreservation, as cryoprotective agents (CPA). The evaluation of the thermal behaviour of these eutectic systems, showed that NADES have a strong effect on the water crystallization/freezing and melting process, being able to reduce the number of ice crystals and hence ice crystal damage in cells, which is a crucial parameter for their survival, upon freezing. Using this NADES as CPA, it is possible to achieve similar or even better cellular performance when compared with the gold standard for cryopreservation dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). In this sense, this work relates the physical properties of the NADES with their biological performance in cryopreservation. Our comprehensive strategy results in the demonstration of NADES as a promising nontoxic green alternative to the conventional CPA's used in cryopreservation methods.