Enhanced Aqueous Solubility of Phenolic Antioxidants Using Modified β-Cyclodextrins

Phenolic antioxidants are useful additives with a possible role in cancer chemoprevention. This study describes inclusion complexation between phenolic antioxidants (butylated hydroxyanisole, BHA; butylated hydroxytoluene, BHT) and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrins (HPB) or hydroxyethyl-β-cyclodextrin (HEB) and their characterization by phase solubility analysis, Xray diffraction and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The complexes were prepared by shaking an aqueous mixture of the antioxidant with each of the cyclodextrins (1:1 molar) at 40 °C for six days and lyophilizing the resulting clear solution. Each of the complexes dissolved instantaneously in water. Phase solubility analysis indicated a more pronounced increase in the aqueous solubility of BHA compared to that of BHT. Xray diffraction patterns of the antioxidant-cyclodextrin complexes indicated a shift from crystalline pattern of the antioxidant to an amorphous pattern for the complexes. Also, the IR spectra of the BHA-cyclodextrin complexes indicated an almost complete disappearance or at least a shift in the -C-O-C- stretch (1200 cm^-1) compared to the corresponding stretch observed for BHA alone or a physical mixture (1:1) of BHA and each of the cyclodextrins. Furthermore, the sharp -OH absorption (3600 cm^-1) is retained in a physical mixture of BHT with either cyclodextrin (1:1) whereas this stretch is not observed in the IR spectra of either BHT-cyclodextrin complexes. These evidences indicate the formation of an inclusion complex between the antioxidants and each of the cyclodextrins.