Enhancing the Anticonvulsant Effects of Nifedipine in Rats Through Encapsulation with Water-Soluble β-Cyclodextrin Polymer

Cyclodextrin Host-Guest Recognition in Glucose-Monitoring Sensors

Diabetes mellitus is a prevalent chronic health condition that has caused millions of deaths worldwide. Monitoring blood glucose levels is crucial in diabetes management, aiding in clinical decision making and reducing the incidence of hypoglycemic episodes, thereby decreasing morbidity and mortality rates. Despite advancements in glucose monitoring (GM), the development of noninvasive, rapid, accurate, sensitive, selective, and stable systems for continuous monitoring remains a challenge. Addressing these challenges is critical to improving the clinical utility of GM technologies in diabetes management. In this concept, cyclodextrins (CDs) can be instrumental in the development of GM systems due to their high supramolecular recognition capabilities based on the host-guest interaction. The introduction of CDs into GM systems not only impacts the sensitivity, selectivity, and detection limit of the monitoring process but also improves biocompatibility and stability. These findings motivated the current review to provide a comprehensive summary of CD-based blood glucose sensors and their chemistry of glucose detection, efficiency, and accuracy. We categorize CD-based sensors into four groups based on their modification strategies, including CD-modified boronic acid, CD-modified mediators, CD-modified nanoparticles, and CD-modified functionalized polymers. These findings shed light on the potential of CD-based sensors as a promising tool for continuous GM in diabetes mellitus management.

Palladated Cyclodextrin Nanosponge-Alginate Dual Bead as an Efficient Catalyst for Hydrogenation of Nitroarenes in Aqueous Solution

In this study, we present a novel composite material consisting of β-cyclodextrin nanosponge and sodium alginate, used as a support for the immobilization of palladium (Pd) nanoparticles. The composite alginate-cyclodextrin nanosponge beads were prepared, taking advantage of the 3D polymeric network and β-cyclodextrin cavity of the nanosponge. These beads exhibited excellent encapsulation capabilities for hydrophobic substrates, allowing their transfer in aqueous media. The cyclodextrin nanosponge served as a stabilizer for Pd nanoparticles and facilitated phase transfer. Additionally, the sodium alginate bead contributed to the robustness of the structure and improved the recovery and recyclability of the composite material. Comparative studies with control catalysts confirmed the beneficial effect of incorporating cyclodextrin nanosponge within alginate beads, particularly for more hydrophobic substrates. Optimization of reaction conditions revealed that employing 0.03 g of catalyst per mmol of nitroarene at 45 °C resulted in the maximum yield within 90 min. Evaluation of the substrate scope demonstrated the hydrogenation capability of various substrates with different electronic properties under the developed protocol. Notably, the nitro group was selectively reduced in substrates featuring competing functionalities. Furthermore, the recyclability and stability of the composite catalyst were confirmed, making it a promising candidate for sustainable catalysis.