Cyclodextrin-Based Pickering Emulsion Significantly Increases 6-Gingerol Loading Through Two Different Mechanisms:...

Area of Science:

• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Colloid Science

Background:

• Host-guest interactions between gingerols (Gs) and cyclodextrins (CDs) form inclusion complexes (G/CD).
• These complexes self-assemble into amphiphilic microcrystals, creating Pickering emulsions.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the formation processes and mechanisms of 6-gingerol (6-G)/β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) inclusion complexes and Pickering emulsions.
• Determine the influence of the 6-G/β-CD molar ratio on complex structure, morphology, and loading capacity.

Main Methods:

• Studied the self-assembly of 6-G/β-CD inclusion complexes.
• Analyzed the formation of resultant Pickering emulsions at varying molar ratios.
• Investigated the structural and morphological characteristics of the complexes and emulsions.

Main Results:

• The cyclodextrin-based Pickering emulsion accommodates 6-G in both the cyclodextrin cavity (up to 9.28% loading) and the Pickering core.
• The highest loading capacity in the Pickering core reached 32.31% at a 6-G/β-CD molar ratio of 5:1.
• The 6-G/β-CD inclusion complex formed a 1:2 molar ratio unit cell, self-assembling into amphiphilic microcrystals via cage-type structures.

Conclusions:

• Van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds primarily drive the self-assembly of amphiphilic microcrystals at the oil-water interface.
• The findings are valuable for designing and preparing cyclodextrin-based carriers with high loading capacity for bioactive compounds.