Association of antioxidant monophenolic compounds with β-cyclodextrin-functionalized cellulose and starch substrates

Polysaccharide substrates loaded with antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds, effectively protected by cyclodextrin moieties, can be a long-lasting solution to confer certain properties to fabrics, paper and other materials. β-Cyclodextrin was attached to α-cellulose, bleached pulp and starch by a two-step esterification with a tetracarboxylic acid.

The carriers, containing between 89 and 171 μmol of β-cyclodextrin per gram, were loaded with carvacrol, cuminaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde and hydroxytyrosol. From a stoichiometric addition, the percentage of compound retained ranged from 49% (hydroxytyrosol in pulp–cyclodextrin) to 92% (carvacrol in starch–cyclodextrin).

From the analysis of the mean dissolution time, it can be concluded that inserting β-cyclodextrin units enhanced the long-term holding of phenolic active compounds in carbohydrate matrices.

Roberto Aguado, Dina Murtinho, Artur J.M. Valente (2021) Association of antioxidant monophenolic compounds with β-cyclodextrin-functionalized cellulose and starch substrates. Carbohydrate Polymers
267, 118189, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118189.