Maltosyl-β-cyclodextrin mediated SupramolecularHost-Guest inclusion complex used for enhancing baicalin antioxidant activity and bioavailability

Encapsulation Efficiency and Functional Stability of Cinnamon Essential Oil in Modified β-cyclodextrins: In Vitro and In Silico Evidence

Essential oils (EOs) have good natural antioxidant and antimicrobial properties; however, their volatility, intense aroma, poor aqueous solubility, and chemical instability limit their applications in the food industry. The encapsulation of EOs in β-cyclodextrins (β-CDs) is a widely accepted strategy for enhancing EO applications. The complexation of cinnamon essential oil (CEO) with five types of β-CDs, containing different substituent groups (β-CD with primary hydroxyl, Mal-β-CD with maltosyl, CM-β-CD with carboxymethyl, HP-β-CD with hydroxypropyl, and DM-β-CD with methyl), inclusion process behaviors, volatile components, and antioxidant and antibacterial activities of the solid complexes were studied. The CEOs complexed with Mal-β-CD, CM-β-CD, and β-CD were less soluble than those complexed with DM-β-CD and HP-β-CD. Molecular docking confirmed the insertion of the cinnamaldehyde benzene ring into various β-CD cavities via hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds. GC-MS analysis revealed that HP-β-CD had the greatest adaptability to cinnamaldehyde. The CEO encapsulated in β-, Mal-β-, and CM-β-CD showed lower solubility but better control-release characteristics than those encapsulated in DM- and HP-β-CD, thereby increasing their antioxidant and antibacterial activities. This study demonstrated that β-, Mal-β-, and CM-β-CD were suitable alternatives for the encapsulation of CEO to preserve its antioxidant and antibacterial activities for long-time use.

Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Study of Salt-Processed product of Cuscutae Semen with Hepatoprotective Effects

BACKGROUND

Salt-processed product of cuscutae semen (SCS), which is documented in Chinese pharmacopoeia (2020 edition), is one of the processed products of cuscustae semen. SCS possesses hepatoprotective effects. However, Pharmacokinetic / Pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) study of SCS with intervening acute liver injury (ALI) has not been reported yet. Effective constituents are still not well addressed.

OBJECTIVE

This study was performed to study PK-PD properties with the purpose of linking SCS hepatoprotective effects to key therapeutic outlines to guide therapeutic use in clinical settings.

METHODS

Rats were orally administered SCS after the acute liver injury model was established. Plasma biochemical analysis, antioxidative analysis, and liver histopathology were measured to evaluate the hepatoprotective effects of SCS. Blood samples were collected at different time points (0 h, 0.083 h, 0.25 h, 0.5 h, 1 h, 1.5 h, 2 h, 3 h, 4 h, 8 h, 12 h, 24 h) for PK/PD study after SCS administration. Contents of chlorogenic acid, hyperoside and astragalin were estimated by UHPLC-ESI-MS. The relationship between concentrations of chlorogenic acid, hyperoside, and astragalin and hepatoprotective effects was assessed by PK-PD modeling.

RESULTS

The results showed that SCS ameliorated liver repair and decreased the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) markedly. Hepatic oxidative stress was inhibited by SCS, as evidenced by a decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) and an increase in glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the liver. PK-PD correlation analysis indicated that concentrations of chlorogenic acid, hyperoside, and astragalin were negatively correlated with level of AST and ALT.

CONCLUSION

The encouraging finding indicates that SCS has beneficial effects on CCl4-induced liver damage. Chlorogenic acid, hyperoside, and astragalin are three effective constituents to exert hepatoprotective effects while astragalin may have maximum pharmacological activity. PK-PD study reveals the positive relationship between drug concentration and action intensity of SCS against liver injury. This research provides a robust foundation for future studies.

Computational Methods for the Interaction between Cyclodextrins and Natural Compounds: Technology, Benefits, Limitations, and Trends

Cyclodextrins (CDs) have a hollow structure with a hydrophobic interior and hydrophilic exterior. Forming inclusion complexes with CDs will maximize the bioavailability of natural compounds and enable active components to be processed into functional foods, medicines, additives, and so forth. However, experimental methods cannot explain CD-guest binding at the atomic level. Different models have been recently developed to simulate the interaction between CDs and guests to study the binding conformation and analyze noncovalent forces. This review paper summarizes modeling methods of CD-natural compound complexes. The methods include quantitative structure-activity relationships, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and quantum-chemical calculations. The applications of these methods to enhance the solubility and bioactivities of guest molecules, assist material transportation, and promote compound extraction are also discussed. The purpose of this review is to explore interaction mechanisms of CDs and guests and to help expand new applications of CDs.