Inclusion complex of cantharidin with β‐cyclodextrin: Preparation,characterization, in vitro and in vivo evaluation

Because of low aqueous solubility and slow dissolution rate, cantharidin has a low oral bioavailability. Our research aims to prepare the inclusion complex of cantharidin and β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) and accomplish characterization, in vitro and in vivo evaluation. CA‐β‐CD inclusion complex was prepared by saturated solution method. The CA was demonstrated by HPLC in vitro experiment and by GC‐MS in vivo experiment. CA‐β‐CD inclusion complex was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X‐ray diffractometry (XRD), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Through complexation with β‐CD, the solubility of CA in neutral aqueous solution was improved significantly. CA‐β‐CD inclusion complex also shows a significantly improved dissolution rate in comparison with free CA. Comparison of the pharmacokinetics between CA‐β‐CD inclusion complex and free CA was performed in rats. The in vivo results show that CA‐β‐CD inclusion complex has earlier t_max, higher C_max, and higher bioavailability than free CA after oral dosing. By comparing the AUC_0–t of CA and CA‐β‐CD inclusion complex, the relative bioavailability of CA‐β‐CD inclusion complex to free CA was 506.3%, which highlighted the evidence of significantly improved bioavailability of formulation of CA with β‐CD. Thus, this β‐CD‐based drug delivery system should be an effective oral dosage form to improve oral bioavailability of CA. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

A novel insulin oral delivery system assisted by cationic β‐cyclodextrin polymers

This work describes a new oral pharmaceutical formulation of insulin that is complexed with cationic β‐cyclodextrin polymers (CPβCDs), and then encapsulated into alginate/chitosan microspheres, which are prepared by ionotropic pregelation/polyelectrolyte method. CPβCDs were synthesized through a one‐step polymerization of β‐cyclodextrin (βCD), epichlorohydrin, and choline chloride. CPβCDs have enhanced ability to complex with insulin due to the assistance of their polymeric chains, as well as the electrostatic interactions between insulin (negatively charged while pH>5.3) and quaternary ammonium groups of CPβCDs. The noncovalent inclusion complex formed between CPβCDs and insulin was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared and fluorescence emission spectra. With the increase of zeta potential of CPβCDs from 1.8 to 14.2 mV, the insulin association efficiency (AE) of current system was increased from 55.2 to 71.8%, whereas the AE of insulin‐loaded microspheres at the same condition was only 50.7%. The cumulative insulin release in simulated intestinal fluid was also higher than that of the insulin‐loaded microspheres and βCD‐insulin encapsulated microspheres. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Preparation and electrorheological characteristics of β‐cyclodextrin–epichlorohydrin–starch polymer suspensions

Three environment friendly β‐cyclodextrin polymer electrorheological (ER) particles (NS‐β‐CDP, WSS‐β‐CDP, and CLS‐β‐CDP) were synthesized by copolymerization through a mixture of β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) and epichlorohydrin in the absence of starch or in the presence of water‐soluble and water‐insoluble starch, respectively. The electrorheological properties of suspensions in silicone oil were then investigated under direct current (dc) electric fields. It was found that the yield stress of the typical WSS‐β‐CDP ER fluid was 6.2 kPa in 4 kV/mm, which is 35% higher than that of NS‐β‐CDP and similar to that of CLS‐β‐CDP. In the meantime, it can display a high ER performance even over a range of 65–95°C. The structures of these polymers were characterized by FT‐IR and Raman spectrometry, respectively. The results demonstrated that all of these polymers keep the original structural character of β‐CD and the copolymerizations between starch and β‐CD indeed occur. Furthermore, it was found that there was some relationship between the characteristic strength of polymers and their dielectric properties. Hence, the improvement of copolymer dielectric properties resulted in the enhancement of ER effects. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 1681–1686, 2004     

Equilibrium studies on enantioselective extraction of oxybutynin enantiomers by hydrophilic β‐cyclodextrin derivatives

The enantioselective extraction of hydrophobic oxybutynin (OBN) enantiomers by hydrophilic β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) derivatives was studied. The efficiency of extraction depends strongly on a number of process variables such as types of organic solvents and β‐CD derivatives, concentration of selector, pH, and temperature. The experimental data were described by a reactive extraction model with a homogeneous aqueous phase reaction of R,S‐OBN with β‐CD. Important parameters of this model were determined experimentally. The physical distribution coefficients for molecular and ionic OBN were 4.96 × 10^?3 and 9.52, respectively. The equilibrium constants of the complexation reactions were 1770 and 1340 L/mol for S‐ and R‐OBN, respectively. By modeling and experiment, an optimal extraction condition with pH of 5 and HP‐β‐CD concentration of 0.1 mol/L was obtained with enantioselectivity (α) of 1.26, which was close to the theoretical maximum of 1.32 and performance factor (pf_i) of 0.036. The model was verified experimentally with excellent results. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2011     

Synthesis of a novel linear water‐soluble β‐cyclodextrin polymer

A novel linear water‐soluble β‐cyclodextrin polymer has been prepared by grafting β‐cyclodextrin on poly[(methyl vinyl ether)‐alt‐(maleic anhydride)]. First, lithium hydride was used to obtain the mono‐alkoxide β‐CD. Grafting of β‐CD derivatives to the polymer backbone was then carried out by an esterification method. Using this method, polymers containing various amounts of β‐CD were synthesized. The resulting grafted polymers were characterized by two complementary methods, ¹H NMR and IR spectroscopy. The first was used to calculate the degree of substitution for the low amounts of β‐CD. The second method was very useful to evaluate the degree of substitution and the molar ratio of CD especially for high amounts of grafting. Our results indicate good agreement between both methods for intermediate rates. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Adsorption of guanosine,cytidine, and uridine on a β‐cyclodextrin derivative grafted chitosan

A β‐cyclodextrin derivative grafted chitosan (CDD‐C) was synthesized with chitosan and carboxymethyl‐β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD). Its structure was characterized by elemental, infrared spectra, and X‐ray diffraction analyses. The degree of substitution by the carboxymethyl‐β‐CD moiety achieved 0.27 with the addition of DMF to the reaction solution. The results are in agreement with the expectations. The static adsorption properties for guanosine, cytidine, and uridine were studied. Experimental results demonstrated that CDD‐C had higher adsorption capability for guanosine than cytidine and uridine, and the adsorption capacity for guanosine was 74.20 mg/g. The adsorption capacity was greatly influenced by pH, time, and temperature. The introduction of chitosan enhanced the adsorption ability and adsorption selectivity of β‐CD for guanosine. This novel derivative of chitosan is expected to have wide applications in separation, concentration, and analysis of guanosine, cytidine, and uridine in biological sample. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 3050–3055, 2007     

Permanent fixation of β‐cyclodextrin on cotton surface—An assessment between innovative and established approaches

Attachment of β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) molecules on cotton textile provides hosting cavities that can include a large variety of guest molecules for specific functionality. Five different new and existing techniques were evaluated for connecting β‐CD and its derivatives to cotton surface. A comparison has been made in terms of maximum attachment of β‐CD on cotton surface. Novel chemical based crosslinking with homo‐bi‐functional reactive dye (C.I. reactive black 5) and grafting with reactive monochlorotriazinyl‐β‐cyclodextrin show maximum attachment to cotton surface. Innovative, enzymatic coupling of especially synthesized 6‐monodeoxy‐6‐mono(N‐tyrosinyl)‐β‐cyclodextrin was performed on cotton textile surface. Enzymatic coupling was also carried out in a homogeneous system and attachment confirmed by UV–vis spectroscopy. This tyrosinase mediated coupling is low temperature and very specific technique. A phenolphthalein based analytical method was partially modified to reliably measure the amount of attached β‐CD on cotton surface. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy techniques were used for surface characterization of the treated and untreated cotton surfaces. Alteration in surface topography has been observed for β‐CD treated samples. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Synthesis and characterization of grafting β‐cyclodextrin with chitosan

Two new adsorbents [β‐cyclodextrin–chitosan (β‐CD–CTS) and β‐cyclodextrin‐6–chitosan (β‐CD‐6‐CTS)] were synthesized by the reaction of β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) with epoxy‐activated chitosan (CTS) and the sulfonation of the C‐6 hydroxyl group of β‐cyclodextrin with CTS, respectively. Their structures were confirmed by IR spectral analysis and X‐ray diffraction analysis, and their apparent amount of grafting was determined by ultraviolet spectroscopy. The adsorption properties of β‐CD‐CTS and β‐CD‐6‐CTS for p‐dihydroxybenzene were studied. The experimental results showed that the two new adsorbents exerted adsorption on the carefully chosen target. The highest saturated capacity of p‐dihydroxybenzene of β‐CD‐CTS and β‐CD‐6‐CTS were 51.68 and 46.41 mg/g, respectively. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 860–864, 2004     

Retention of Eucalyptol,a Natural Volatile Insecticide,in Delivery Systems Based on Hydroxypropyl‐β‐Cyclodextrin and Liposomes

Eucalyptol (Euc) is a natural monoterpene with insecticide effects. Being highly volatile and sensitive to ambient conditions, its encapsulation would enlarge its application. Euc‐loaded conventional liposomes (CL), cyclodextrin/drug inclusion complex, and drug‐in‐cyclodextrin‐in‐liposomes (DCL) are prepared to protect Euc from degradation, reduce its evaporation, and provide its controlled release. The liposomal suspension is freeze‐dried using hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin (HP‐β‐CD) as cryoprotectant. The liposomes are characterized before and after freeze‐drying. The effect of Euc on the fluidity of liposomal membrane is also examined. A release study of Euc from delivery systems, in powder and reconstituted forms, is performed by multiple head extraction at 60 °C after 6 months of storage at 4 °C. CL and DCL suspensions are homogeneous, show nanometric vesicles size, spherical shape, and negative surface charge before and after freeze‐drying. Moreover, HP‐β‐CD does not affect the fluidity of liposomes. CL formulations present a weak encapsulation for Euc. The loading capacity of eucalyptol in DCL is 38 times higher than that in CL formulation. In addition, freeze‐dried DCL and HP‐β‐CD/Euc inclusion complex show a higher retention of eucalyptol than CL delivery system. Both carrier systems HP‐β‐CD/Euc and Euc‐loaded DCL decrease Euc evaporation and improve its retention. Practical Applications: Eucalyptol is a natural insecticide. It is highly volatile and poorly soluble in water. To enlarge its application, its encapsulation in three delivery systems (conventional liposomes, cyclodextrin/drug inclusion complex, combined system composed of cyclodextrin inclusion complex and liposome) is studied. In this paper it is proved that cyclodextrin/eucalyptol inclusion complex and eucalyptol‐in‐cyclodextrin‐in‐liposome are effective delivery systems for encalyptol encapsulation, retention, and release.     

Photocatalytic degradation of 2,2‐bis(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methylphenyl) propane (BPP) based on molecular recognition interaction

BACKGROUND: Endocrine disruptors in the aquatic environment and their potential adverse effects are currently issues of concern. One of these endocrine disruptors is 2,2‐bis(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methylphenyl)propane (BPP). In this work the molecular recognition interaction of BPP with β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) was studied using IR spectroscopy and steady state fluorescence spectroscopy, and the photocatalytic degradation behaviour of BPP based on molecular recognition interaction was investigated in a TiO₂/UV–visible (λ_max = 365 nm) system. This might provide a new method for the treatment of some organic pollutants in wastewater. RESULTS: β‐CD reacts with BPP to form a 1:1 inclusion complex, the formation constant of which is 4.94 × 10³ L mol^?1. The photodegradation rate constant of BPP after molecular recognition by β‐CD showed a 1.42‐fold increase in the TiO₂/UV–visible (λ_max = 365 nm) system. The photodegradation of BPP depended on the concentration of β‐CD, the pH value, the gaseous medium and the initial concentration of BPP. The photodegradation efficiency of BPP with molecular recognition was higher than that without molecular recognition. After 100 min of irradiation the mineralisation efficiency of BPP after molecular recognition by β‐CD reached 94.8%, whereas the mineralisation efficiency of BPP before molecular recognition by β‐CD was only 40.6%. CONCLUSION: The photocatalytic degradation of BPP after molecular recognition by β‐CD can be enhanced in the TiO₂/UV‐visible (λ_max = 365 nm) system. This enhancement is dependent on the enhancement of the adsorption of BPP, the moderate inclusion depth of BPP in the β‐CD cavity and the increase in the frontier electron density of BPP after molecular recognition. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Pervaporation behavior of PVA membrane containing β‐cyclodextrin for separating xylene isomeric mixtures

To evaluate molecular recognition function of β‐cyclodextrin to xylene isomers, β‐CD polymer of branching chain extension (β‐CD‐EGDE) was synthesized by crosslinking β‐CD with ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (EGDE). The pervaporation blend membranes of β‐CD‐EGDE/PVA were prepared by casting an aqueous solution of PVA and β‐CD polymer mixture, and the membranes were used for separation of p‐/m‐ and p‐/o‐xylene mixtures. It was observed that the pristine PVA membrane almost had no selectivity for xylene isomer mixtures. The PVA membrane incorporating β‐CD polymer had molecular recognition function, which selectively facilitated the transport of the xylene isomers. To ascertain pervaporation behavior, the sorption and desorption processes of the membrane in xylenes were investigated. The sorption result showed that the complex formation constant between β‐CDs and xylenes played a key role in swelling behavior. There was a significant difference between diffusion coefficients D and D⁰, calculated from the sorption and desorption measurements, respectively, indicating that the diffusivity selectivity in desorption stage may have remarkable effect on the total selectivity during pervaporation process. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 604–612, 2013     

Preparation and characterisation of a novel copper‐imprinted polymer based on β‐cyclodextrin copolymers for selective determination of Cu2+ ions

A novel ion‐imprinted polymer (IIP) using (6‐O‐butene diacid ester)‐β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD‐MAH) as the functional monomer and copper ions as the template was developed for Cu²⁺ sensing. First, reactive β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) monomers with vinyl carboxylic acid functional groups were synthesised and were co‐polymerised with styrene via radical polymerisation. Then, the β‐CD copolymers were complexed with Cu²⁺ in order to obtain the IIP. The imprinting effect was realised by removing the template ions from the imprinted polymer. The structure, composition and morphology of the IIP were characterised by Fourier transform IR spectroscopy, energy‐dispersive spectroscopy and field‐emission SEM. The adsorption capacity was investigated by UV–visible spectroscopy in batch operation mode. The maximum adsorption capacity for the Cu²⁺ template ions was 28.91 mg g^?1, and the adsorption selectivity was clearly illustrated from the increased sorption affinity towards Cu²⁺ ions over other competing ions. The adsorption was affected by the pH of the aqueous medium, and enhanced adsorption capacity was observed at pH 5. The prepared IIP could be used 10 times after its regeneration without significant loss of the adsorption capacity. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

Associations between a hydrophobically modified,degradable, poly(malic acid) and a β‐cyclodextrin polymer in solution

A new associating system has been elaborated from mixing a degradable polymer, poly(β‐malic acid‐co‐β‐ethyladamantyl malate), and a β‐cyclodextrin polymer in aqueous solution. Viscosity and dynamic light scattering measurements have been made on solutions of the single copolyester and of mixtures of both polymers. Studies on copolyesters with different percentages of hydrophobic groups (0–7.5%) show that a small proportion of the chains (less than 5% in weight) are aggregated in large structures (100 nm) which dominate the scattering intensity. The mixtures exhibit slow diffusive relaxation modes which correlate with a large viscosity enhancement at low concentration. These effects, which depend sensitively on pH, are attributed to the presence of polydisperse complexes of copolyester and β‐cyclodextrin polymer. The influence of pH, ionic strength, medium composition, and concentration were examined on the mixture of copolymers. It was found that the association properties are controlled by the net charge on the amphiphilic copolyester. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Preparation of bimodal porous copolymer containing β‐cyclodextrin and its inclusion adsorption behavior

A novel insoluble bimodal porous polymer containing β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) was prepared to adsorb aromatic amine compound. The process involved copolymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate with a maleic acid derivative of β‐CD, subsequently, above formed copolymer was foamed by supercritical CO₂. The chemical properties and physical structure of obtained copolymer was analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectra, Thermal gravimetric analysis, X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and N₂ adsorption techniques. The inclusion adsorption of aromatic amine compounds on β‐CD copolymer was carried out in a batch system. The quantities of aromatic amine compounds adsorbed on β‐CD copolymer reached equilibrium within 60 min. The adsorption kinetic could be fitted to a pseudo‐second‐order kinetic equation, and the linear correlation coefficients varied from 0.9828 to 0.9935. With the influence of molecular structure and hydrophobicity of the aromatic amine compound, the sequence of quantity of aromatic amine compounds adsorbed on β‐CD copolymer is p‐toluidine > aniline > benzidine > o‐toluidine. The adsorption equilibrium data of aromatic amine compound adsorbed on β‐CD copolymer were fitted to Freundlich and Langmuir models, respectively. The linear correlation coefficients of Langmuir model varied from 0.9516 to 0.9940, and the linear correlation coefficients of Freundlich varied from 0.9752 to 0.9976. It is concluded that Freundlich model fits better than Langmuir model, because the adsorption of aromatic amine compound on β‐CD copolymer is a chemical process. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Complexation of Surfactant/β‐Cyclodextrin to Inhibit Surfactant Adsorption onto Sand,Kaolin, and Shale for Applications in Enhanced Oil Recovery Processes. Part I: Static Adsorption Analysis

Surfactant adsorption onto solid surfaces is a major issue during surfactant flooding in enhanced oil recovery applications; it decreases the effectiveness of the chemical injection making the process uneconomical. Therefore, it was hypothesized that the adsorption of surfactant onto solid surfaces could be inhibited using a surfactant delivery system based on the complexation between the hydrophobic tail of anionic surfactants and β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD). Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to confirm the complexation of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)/β‐CD. Surface tension analysis was used to establish the stoichiometry of the complexation and the binding constant (K_a). Static adsorption testing was applied to determine the adsorption of surfactant onto different solids (sandstone, shale, and kaolinite). The release of the surfactant from the β‐CD cavity was qualitatively evaluated through bottle testing. The formation of the inclusion complex SDS/β‐CD with a 1:1 stoichiometry was confirmed. The K_a of the complexations increases as salinity and hardness concentration increases. The encapsulation of the surfactant into the β‐CD cavity decreases the adsorption of surfactant onto solid surfaces up to 79 %. Qualitative observations indicate that in the presence of solid adsorbents partially saturated with crude oil, the β‐CD cavity releases surfactant molecules, which migrate towards the oil–water interface.     

Isothermal crystallization and melting behavior of polypropylene with lanthanum complex of cyclodextrin derivative as a β‐nucleating agent

A novel highly active β‐nucleating agent, β‐cyclodextrin complex with lanthanum (β‐CD‐MAH‐La), was introduced to isotactic polypropylene (iPP). Its influence on isothermal crystallization and melting behavior of iPP was investigated by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), and polarized light microscopy (PLM). WAXD results demonstrated that β‐CD‐MAH‐La was an effective β‐nucleating agent, with β‐crystal content of iPP being strongly influenced by the content of β‐CD‐MAH‐La and the isothermal crystallization temperature. The isothermal crystallization kinetics of pure iPP and iPP/β‐CD‐MAH‐La was described appropriately by Avrami equation, and results revealed that β‐CD‐MAH‐La promoted heterogeneous nucleation and accelerated the crystallization of iPP. In addition, the equilibrium melting temperature (T) of samples was determined using linear and nonlinear Hoffman‐Weeks procedure. Finally, the Lauritzen‐Hoffman secondary nucleation theory was applied to calculate the nucleation parameter (K_g) and the fold surface energy (σ_e), the value of which verify that the addition of β‐CD‐MAH‐La reduced the creation of new surface for β‐crystal and then led to faster crystallization rate. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Synthesis of a vinyl monomer containing β‐cyclodextrin and grafting onto cotton fiber

To chemically bond β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD), which can form inclusion complexes, acrylamidomethyl CD (CD–NMA) obtained from the acid‐catalyzed reaction of N‐methylolacrylamide (NMA) and β‐CD was grafted onto cellulose fibers using CeIV as the initiator. The double‐bond content of CD–NMA increased with increase in the NMA/CD mol ratio, and a CD–NMA containing a maximum of three molecules of NMA bonded to a CD molecule could be obtained. Since the grafting condition is acidic, the hydrolytic stability of CD–NMA in aqueous nitric acid was studied. The temperature of hydrolysis proved to have a greater effect on the depletion of double bonds from CD–NMA compared with the concentration of the acid. Thus, CD–NMA was grafted onto cellulose fibers at a low temperature, and FTIR analysis of the CD–NMA‐grafted cotton fibers confirmed the chemical bonding of CD–NMA molecules to cellulose. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 438–446, 2001     

Viscometric Study of the Inclusion Complex Between β‐Cyclodextrin and HTAC in Aqueous Solution

The inclusion complex formed by β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) with the cationic surfactant hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (HTAC) was studied by viscometry using poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)–HTAC aggregates as a viscosity indicator. The relative viscosity of β‐CD in aqueous PEO–HTAC solution profiles shows that the formation of the β‐CD/HTAC inclusion complex causes HTAC molecules to be stripped off the PEO chains, resulting in a decrease of aqueous solution viscosity as a result of the decrease in electrostatic repulsion between polymer‐bound HTAC micelles. The viscosity minimum at C_β‐CD/C_HTAC = 0.5 indicates that the molecular ratio of host molecule to guest molecule is 1:2 in the β‐CD/HTAC inclusion complex.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel star polymer with β‐cyclodextrin core and its metal complexes

A novel star polymer with β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) core and polyacrylonitrile arms and its metal complexes (Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Ag⁺) were synthesized and characterized by means of infrared spectra, ultraviolet, GPC, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, cyclic voltammetry, and electron spin resonance. The results indicate that the monomers of acrylonitrile were initiated by functionalized β‐CD. The thermal properties of star polymer were improved greatly after transitional metal ions were introduced into it. The novel star polymer metal complexes possess properties of metal ions, polymer, and β‐CD. Furthermore, it shows stable electrochemical activity. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Preparation and characterization of β‐cyclodextrin‐linked chitosan microparticles

Hydrophobically modified chitosan containing β‐cyclodextrin (CD) units was synthesized by using tosylated β‐CD. The final product was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, elemental analysis and TGA, and rheometry. The polymer bearing β‐CD moieties was used to obtain crosslinked microparticles by spray‐drying which could then be used in a controlled release system for drugs. FTIR confirmed the formation of an amide linkage between cyclodextrin and chitosan. As fluorescence spectroscopy demonstrated, hydrophobic microenvironments were formed by chitosan bearing cyclodextrin in solution at lower concentrations than for chitosan. Rheometry and FTIR showed the crosslinking of the new polymer using genipin, a molecule of natural origin. Microspheres (MS) obtained by spray‐drying showed narrow size distribution when β‐CD was grafted onto chitosan and ξ‐potential of MS was slightly lower although it remained positive. In conclusion, β‐CD linked chitosan polymer can be considered as a very promising controlled drug delivery system for drugs. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012