α-Cyclodextrin

α-Cyclodextrin is a cyclic oligosaccharide composed of 6 D-pyran glucose units linked by α-1,4-glycosidic bonds. Its molecular shape is similar to a truncated cone with a cavity in the middle, featuring a unique hydrophobic inner cavity and a hydrophilic outer surface. This special structure enables α-cyclodextrin to form inclusion complexes with many guest molecules through intermolecular forces, thereby playing roles such as protection, stabilization, and solubilization of the guest molecules.

It is generally prepared by an enzymatic method. Using starch as the raw material, under the action of α-amylase, starch is hydrolyzed into dextrin. Then, under the action of cyclodextrin glucosyltransferase (CGTase), the dextrin molecules undergo a cyclization reaction to produce α-cyclodextrin. After the reaction is completed, the α-cyclodextrin product is obtained through processes such as separation and purification.

Application Fields

• Food Industry
  • Flavor Protectant: It can encapsulate volatile flavor substances in its inner cavity, preventing the loss of flavor substances due to volatilization during processing and storage, and maintaining the original flavor of the food.
  • Antioxidant: It can form inclusion complexes with some easily oxidizable substances, isolating them from oxygen, playing an antioxidant role, and extending the shelf life of food.
  • Improving Taste: It is used to regulate the texture and taste of food. For example, adding α-cyclodextrin to ice cream can improve the smoothness and anti-melting property of ice cream.
• Pharmaceutical Industry
  • Drug Carrier: As a drug carrier, it can encapsulate some poorly soluble drugs in its inner cavity, increasing the solubility and stability of the drugs and improving the bioavailability of the drugs.
  • Sustained Release Effect: By forming inclusion complexes with drugs, it controls the release rate of drugs, achieves a sustained release effect, reduces the frequency of drug administration, and improves the compliance of patients with taking drugs.
  • Reducing Drug Irritation: For some drugs that are irritating to the gastrointestinal tract, α-cyclodextrin can encapsulate them, reducing the direct contact between the drugs and the gastrointestinal mucosa, thereby reducing the irritation of the drugs.
• Cosmetics Industry
  • Carrier for Fragrances and Active Ingredients: It can encapsulate fragrances and some active ingredients, such as vitamins, plant extracts, etc., preventing their oxidation, volatilization, and degradation, and improving the stability and efficacy of cosmetics.
  • Improving Skin Feel: Adding it to cosmetics can improve the texture and user experience of the products, making the skin feel smoother and more comfortable.
• Other Fields
  • Analytical Chemistry: It can be used as the stationary phase in gas chromatography and liquid chromatography for the separation and analysis of some organic compounds.
  • Environmental Protection: It can form inclusion complexes with some pollutants, thereby adsorbing and separating the pollutants, and has certain application potential in wastewater treatment and other aspects.