The Influence of pH and Temperature on the Encapsulation of Quinine by Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Cyclodextrins as Explored by NMR Spectroscopy

Abstract

Cyclodextrins are well known for their ability to encapsulate molecules and have captured the attention of scientists for many years. This ability alone makes cyclodextrins attractive for study, research, and applications in many fields including food, cosmetics, textiles, and the pharmaceutical industry. In this thesis, we specifically look at the ability of the three native cyclodextrins, alpha, beta, and gamma cyclodextrin (α-CD, β-CD, and γ-CD, respectively), to encapsulate the drug molecule, quinine, a small hydrophobic, lipophilic molecule used to treat malaria, leg cramps, and other similar conditions. This encapsulation process is driven by the molecular interactions, which have been studied by NMR techniques at different temperatures (288 K, 293 K, 298 K, 303 K, 308 K) and pH values (7.4, 11.5). These factors (temperature and pH) influence these molecular interactions, which in turn significantly affects the entire encapsulation process. Detailed studies of the influences of temperature and pH on the interactions that drive the encapsulation may suggest some new directions into designing controlled drug release processes. Results obtained throughout the course of this work indicate that β-CD is the best native cyclodextrin to bind quinine, and that binding is best at pH = 11.5. It was found that temperature does not significantly affect the binding affinity of quinine to either α-CD, β-CD, or γ-CD.