γ‐Cyclodextrin Inclusion of Phloroglucinol: Solid State Studies and Antioxidant Activity throughout the Digestive Tract

Abstract

Phloroglucinol is a powerful antioxidant compound and an active pharmaceutical in-gredient used in the management of intestinal spasms. In this report, we describe the interaction of γ‐cyclodextrin with phloroglucinol to readily form a solid inclusion compound with 1:1 by co-dissolution and freeze‐drying. Solid‐state characterisation using FT‐IR, thermal analyses (TGA and DTA) and X‐ray powder diffraction confirmed the formation of a true inclusion compound (γ‐ CD∙PG) in which the molecules of γ‐CD are stacked into channels. This spatial arrangement is typ-ical of γ‐CD inclusion compounds, and it allows for the guest molecules to be located inside these channels. The evaluation of the antiradical potential of γ‐CD∙PG (against O2• ⁻ and NO•) on different steps of the digestive process (mouth, gastric and intestinal phases) led us to conclude that the inclusion of phloroglucinol promoted better antioxidant activity at the end of the digestion when compared to the free phloroglucinol.