Preparation, Characterization, and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitory Ability of the Inclusion Complex of β-Cyclodextrin–Cedar (Juniperus phoenicea) Essential Oil
Eleni Kavetsou, Ioanna Pitterou, Annita Katopodi, Georgia Petridou, Abdelaziz Adjali, Spyros Grigorakis, Anastasia Detsi
Abstract
The aim of the present study was the encapsulation of cedar (Juniperus phoenicea) essential oil (CEO) of Greek origin in β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) through the formation of inclusion complexes (ICs) using the co-precipitation method with different β-CD-to-CEO weight ratios (90:10, 85:15, 80:20, 70:30 (w/w)). The encapsulation of CEO in β-CD through host–guest interactions was confirmed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). The obtained ICs exhibited nanoscale size (315.9 nm to 769.6 nm),Polydispersity Index from 0.326 to 0.604 and satisfactory stability in suspension (−37.0 mV to −17.0 mV). The process yield was satisfactory, ranging between 65% and 78%, while the inclusion efficiency ranged from 10% to 27%. The in vitro release study conducted for the IC with the optimal characteristics (β-CD:CEO 80:20 (w/w)) exhibited a sustained release profile, with an initial burst effect in the first 5 h. The release profile could be well expressed by the Higuchi equation: Q = 18.893 t1/2 + 9.5919, R2 = 0.8491. The cedar EO presented significant acetylcholinesterase inhibition (IC50 37 μg/mL), which was prolonged by its encapsulation into the β-CD cavity.