Abstract:Phloridzin possesses many bioactivities, such as hypoglycemic and antitumor effects; however, the properties of low water solubility and poor thermal stability have limited its wide application in the food industry. Although 6-O-α-D-Maltosyl-β-cyclodextrin (G2-β-CD) is a new type of β-cyclodextrin derivative with high safety and aqueous solubility, studies on its complexes have scarcely been reported, internationally or domestically. In this study, the inclusion efficiency of G2-β-CD on phloridzin was investigated by using the phase solubility method, and the complex of phloridzin and G2-β-CD was prepared by the freeze-drying method. The physicochemical properties of the complex were studied by ultraviolet-visible spectrometry (UV), infrared spectrometry (IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetry/differential scanning calorimetry (TG/DSC); additionally, the three-dimensional supermolecular structure of the complex was inferred by the molecular docking method. The results indicated that the inclusion efficiency of G2-β-CD on phloridzin was inferior to that of β-CD, due to the steric effect introduced by the maltosyl group. After the complexation of phloridzin with G2-β-CD, the phase of phloridzin was significantly changed, and the aqueous solubility and thermal stability of phloridzin were dramatically improved. According to the results of molecular docking, phloridzin could enter the hydrophobic cavity from the wide rim of G2-β-CD to form the complex, which may be maintained by hydrogen bonding.
