Studies on coumestrol/β-cyclodextrin characterization

Coumestrol is an estrogenic and antioxidant agent, characterized by its low solubility in aqueous and lipophilic media, once in the aglicone form. In order to improve its solubility in water, coumestrol was associated with beta-cyclodextrin in aqueous media followed by freeze-drying and characterized by SEM, H-1 NMR and molecular modeling. The analysis proved the existence of an inclusion complex, with higher probability of inclusion of the coumestrol B-ring into the wider rim of the beta-cyclodextrin molecule. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.