6-O-alpha-(4-O-alpha-D-glucuronyl)-D-glucosyl-beta-cyclodextrin: solubilizing ability and some cellular effects.

Some physicochemical and biopharmaceutical properties of a new branched cyclodextrin, 6-O-alpha-(4-O-alpha-D-glucuronyl)-D-glucosyl-beta-cyclodextrin (GUG-beta-CyD), were investigated. The interaction of GUG-beta-CyD with drugs was studied by spectroscopic and solubility methods, and compared with those of parent beta-CyD and 6-O-alpha-maltosyl-beta-CyD (G(2)-beta-CyD). The hemolytic activity of GUG-beta-CyD on rabbit erythrocytes was lower than those of beta-CyD and G(2)-beta-CyD. GUG-beta-CyD and G(2)-beta-CyD showed negligible cytotoxicity on Caco-2 cells up to at least 0.1 M. The inclusion ability of GUG-beta-CyD to neutral and acidic drugs was comparable to or slightly smaller than those of beta-CyD and G(2)-beta-CyD, probably because of a steric hindrance of the branched sugar. On the other hand, GUG-beta-CyD showed greater affinity for the basic drugs, compared with beta-CyD and G(2)-beta-CyD, owing to an electrostatic interaction of its carboxylate anion with positive charge of basic drugs. Thus, GUG-beta-CyD may be useful as a safe solubilizing agent particularly for basic drugs.

Effects of a partially hydrolyzed curdlan on serum and hepatic cholesterol concentration, and cecal fermentation in rats.

A significant reduction was observed for serum and hepatic cholesterol concentrations in the rats fed diet containing a 5% partially hydrolyzed curdlan (PHCD), whereas only the hepatic cholesterol concentration was decreased in the curdlan (CD)-fed rats. The cecal contents in the CD group contained a significantly larger amount of short-chain fatty acids, but not those in the PHCD group. CD, but not PHCD, significantly increased the population of cecal bifidobacteria. From the in vitro fermentation test with cecal contents from cellulose powder (CP) and CD-fed rats, PHCD proved to be easily fermented by both cecal contents; incidentally CD was more susceptible to the cecal contents from CD-fed rats than to those from CP-fed rats. These results suggest that PHCD is involved in the modulation of lipid metabolism and intestinal microflora through a different manner from the native CD in rats.