Investigation of Host-Guest Inclusion Complex of Mephenesin with α-Cyclodextrin for Innovative Application in...

Area of Science:

• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background:

• Polyether compounds like mephenesin (MEP) can exhibit improved properties through encapsulation.
• Host-guest complexation using cyclodextrins is a key strategy in drug delivery and material science.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the coevaporation of mephenesin (MEP) into the nanohydrophobic cage of alpha-cyclodextrin (α-CD).
• To characterize the resulting inclusion complex and assess its properties.

Main Methods:

• Coevaporation technique for complex formation.
• Spectroscopic analysis including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and 1H NMR.
• Job's plot analysis for molar ratio determination.
• Thermal analysis: Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA).
• Molecular docking simulations to predict complex orientation.

Main Results:

• Successful encapsulation of MEP within the α-CD cavity was confirmed by spectroscopic and diffraction methods.
• Job's plot and molecular docking indicated a 1:1 molar ratio of MEP to α-CD.
• Encapsulation significantly enhanced the thermal stability of MEP.
• Cell viability studies compared the efficacy of free MEP versus the inclusion complex.

Conclusions:

• Coevaporation is an effective method for forming MEP-α-CD inclusion complexes.
• The inclusion complex exhibits improved thermal stability and a defined 1:1 stoichiometry.
• Further studies on the therapeutic potential and delivery applications of the MEP-α-CD complex are warranted.