Empirical,thermodynamic and quantum-chemical investigations of inclusion complexation between flavanones and (2-hydroxypropyl)-cyclodextrins

The inclusion complexation of (2-hydroxypropyl)-cyclodextrins with flavanones was investigated by phase solubility measurements, as well as thermodynamic and quantum chemical methods. Inclusion complexes were formed between (2-hydroxypropyl)-α-cyclodextrin (HP-α-CD), (2-hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD), (2-hydroxypropyl)-γ-cyclodextrin (HP-γ-CD) and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and four flavanones (naringenin, naringin, hesperetin and dihydromyricetin) in aqueous solutions and their phase solubility was determined. For all the flavanones, the stability constants of their complexes formed with different CDs followed the rank order: HP-β-CD (MW 1540) > HP-β-CD (MW 1460) > HP-β-CD (MW 1380) > β-CD > HP-γ-CD > HP-α-CD. Experimental results and quantum chemical calculations showed that the ability of flavanones to form inclusion complex with (2-hydroxypropyl)-cyclodextrins was determined by both the steric effect and hydrophobicity of the flavanones. For flavanones that have similar molecular volumes, the hydrophobicity of the molecule was the main determining factor of its ability to form inclusion complexes with HP-β-CD, and the hydrophobicity parameter Log P is highly correlated with the stability constant of the complexes. Results of thermodynamic study demonstrated that hydrophobic interaction is the main driving force for the formation process of the flavanone–CD inclusion complexes. Quantum chemical analysis of the most active hydroxyl groups and HOMO (the highest occupied molecular orbital) showed that the B ring of the flavanones was most likely involved in hydrogen bonding with the side groups in the cavity of the CDs, through which the inclusion complex was stabilised.