Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complexes and Their Application in Food Safety Analysis: Recent Developments and Future Prospects

Abstract

Food safety issues are a major threat to public health and have attracted much attention. Therefore, exploring accurate, efficient, sensitive, and economical detection methods is necessary to ensure consumers’ health. In this regard, cyclodextrins (CDs) are promising candidates because they are nontoxic and noncaloric. The main body of CDs is a ring structure with hydrophobic cavity and hydrophilic exterior wall. Due to the above characteristics, CDs can encapsulate small guest molecules into their cavities, enhance their stability, avoid agglomeration and oxidation, and, at the same time, interact through hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions. Additionally, they can selectively capture the target molecules to be detected and improve the sensitivity of food detection. This review highlights recent advances in CD inclusion technology in food safety analysis, covering various applications from small molecule and heavy metal sensing to amino acid and microbial sensing. Finally, challenges and prospects for CDs and their derivatives are presented. The current review can provide a reference and guidance for current research on CDs in the food industry and may inspire breakthroughs in this field.

Optimization of Cyclodextrin-Assisted Extraction of Phenolics from Helichrysum italicum for Preparation of Extracts with Anti-Elastase and Anti-Collagenase Properties

“…Such structure enables them to form inclusion complexes with various organic compounds, including those of natural origin. Consequently, CDs may enhance the solubility and stability of small molecules, as well as reduce their unpleasant odor and agglomeration [ 12 ]. According to the number of glucose units in their structure, there are three main types of CDs: α-CD, β-CD, and γ-CD, with six, seven, and eight glucose subunits in a ring [ 13 ], respectively.…”

Characterization of Complexes between Imidacloprid and β-Cyclodextrin: Evaluation of the Toxic Activity in Algae and Rotifers

“…In an aqueous solution, energetically disfavored water molecules occupy this cavity and can be easily substituted by guest molecules forming host–guest inclusion complexes in a dynamic equilibrium which modifies some features of the guest molecule. The use of CDs is widely spreading in pharmacology [ 5 ], food and cosmetic fields as well as in industrial and agricultural applications [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. The CD complexation of agrochemicals usually increases solubility, dissolution rate and wettability, prevents degradation by improving physical and chemical stability, enhances bioavailability and allows to overcome problems of organic solvent and surfactant use, for the extraction processes of pesticides [ 12 , 13 ].…”

Hydroxypropyl-β-Cyclodextrin-Based Helichrysum italicum Extracts: Antioxidant and Cosmeceutical Activity and Biocompatibility

“…Ideally, this is achieved using solvents that, besides having high dissolving properties, should be safe, both to human organisms and the environment [ 17 , 18 ]. Among such solvents, aqueous solutions of cyclodextrins (CDs), cyclic oligosaccharides made up of six (α-CDs), seven (β-CDs), or eight (γ-CDs) d -glucopyranoside units linked by α-1,4-glycosidic bonds [ 19 ], have a significant place. CD molecules have a cyclic structure with a hydrophobic interior and a hydrophilic exterior that enables them to form complexes with small molecules (e.g., flavonoids and other plant phenolics).…”

“…CD molecules have a cyclic structure with a hydrophobic interior and a hydrophilic exterior that enables them to form complexes with small molecules (e.g., flavonoids and other plant phenolics). This enhances their water solubility and stability, the features that are important for the formulation of different cosmetic and pharmaceutical products [ 19 ]. One of the additional advantages of CDs use in cosmetics is that they may enhance the bioavailability [ 20 ] and transport of active molecules through the epidermis [ 21 ].…”