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Supramolecular Strategies in Medicine and Environmental Science

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Macromolecular Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 March 2026) | Viewed by 1079

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cyclodextrins and hyaluronic acid have emerged as pivotal systems in both fundamental and applied research due to their broad spectrum of applications in pharmaceutical chemistry, as well as human and veterinary medicine. Hyaluronic acid (or hyaluronan) is a natural polysaccharide widely used in therapeutic formulations, particularly in dentistry, due to its excellent lubricating, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. Cyclodextrins, on the other hand, are among the most prominent carriers in drug delivery systems, particularly for local anesthetics and other poorly soluble pharmaceuticals. Their unique structure enables the solubilization and stabilization of hydrophobic drugs, leading to significant improvements in aqueous solubility, diffusion rates, and bioavailability. Despite the growing importance of these supramolecular systems, our understanding of their transport and thermodynamic behavior under physiological conditions remains limited. This knowledge gap poses challenges for the rational design of safer and more effective pharmaceutical formulations. The comprehensive characterization of these systems is, therefore, essential to not only better understand the behavior of different drugs in aqueous environments containing these macrocyclic hosts but also generate valuable data for the scientific and technological communities working on solution transport phenomena and drug formulation modeling.

Dr. Ana Cristina Faria Ribeiro
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • cyclodextrins
  • hyaluronic acid
  • therapeutic
  • drug delivery
  • supramolecular

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 2484 KB  
Article
Antibiotic–Cyclodextrin Interactions: An Effective Strategy for the Encapsulation of Environmental Contaminants
by Diana M. Galindres-Jiménez, Marta F. Matias, Isabel Paiva, Sónia I. G. Fangaia, Ana C. F. Ribeiro, Artur J. M. Valente and Miguel A. Esteso
Molecules 2025, 30(22), 4359; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30224359 - 11 Nov 2025
Viewed by 773
Abstract
This study reports measurements of density, viscosity, and ternary mutual diffusion coefficients (D11, D12, D21, D22) for aqueous solutions containing two antibiotics—sulfamethoxazole (SMX) or trimethoprim (TMP) (component 1)—in the presence of various cyclodextrins (α–CD, [...] Read more.
This study reports measurements of density, viscosity, and ternary mutual diffusion coefficients (D11, D12, D21, D22) for aqueous solutions containing two antibiotics—sulfamethoxazole (SMX) or trimethoprim (TMP) (component 1)—in the presence of various cyclodextrins (α–CD, β–CD, and γ–CD) (component 2) at 298.15 K. The relative viscosity data were analyzed by fitting to a second-order Jones-Dole equation via a least-squares regression to obtain the viscosity B coefficients. Apparent molar volumes (Vϕ) were derived from the measured densities (ρ) for SMX and TMP in aqueous media. Furthermore, partial molar volumes of transfer at infinite dilution, ΔVϕ0, were evaluated to elucidate solute–solvent interactions within the ternary systems investigated. Nonzero ΔVϕ0 values, positive viscosity B coefficients, and negative cross-diffusion coefficients (D12 and D21), evidencing significant coupled diffusion, collectively indicate strong interactions between the antibiotics and cyclodextrins, consistent with host–guest complex formation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Supramolecular Strategies in Medicine and Environmental Science)
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