Uses of cyclodextrin polymers.

Today's cyclodextrin, drug development

How about a case study now?From bacterial toxin to long-acting pain relief

Challenge: Chronic & neuropathic pain still largely rely on short-acting, addictive opioids.

Innovation: A β-cyclodextrin polymer that encapsulates mycolactone, turning an insoluble, UV-sensitive molecule into a stable, aqueous formulation.

Chemistry: Crosslinked β-CD forms multiple host–guest cavities, solubilising and protecting mycolactone without organic solvents.

Impact: In vivo, the pCD–mycolactone combo delivers strong, long-lasting analgesia from a single injection — a promising non-opioid alternative for difficult-to-treat pain.

Check out the patent in comments if you like the idea of Ruxandra Gref; Isabelle Marsollier and Estelle Marion. We do so!

Espacenet – LONG-ACTING PAIN-RELIEF FORMULATION

Would you like to design a similar polymer for you application? Let us know, we can help.

Training hard? Consider taking some ACD with your creatine

Today's cyclodextrin, Non-pharma applications,

Exciting research is emerging around α-cyclodextrin (ACD) and its potential role in supporting key aspects of athletic performance.

Traditionally recognized for its unique molecular structure and digestive benefits, ACD is now being explored for targeted applications in sports and human performance.

A recent invention highlights how formulations containing ACD may help support:
• Physical strength and endurance
• Reduced feelings of fatigue
• Improved exercise comfort through moderated heart-rate response
• A healthier gut environment, including the proliferation of Bacteroides uniformis, an important member of the intestinal microbiome

What makes ACD particularly compelling is its versatility, ease of oral administration, and favorable safety profile. The research suggests that consistent daily intake over a period of at least seven days may be key to unlocking these benefits.

As interest in microbiome-centric performance solutions grows, ACD is shaping up to be an intriguing candidate for future innovation in nutrition, wellness, and athletic optimization.

The intersection of gut health and performance continues to expand—and ACD may be one of the ingredients helping to bridge that gap.

carbohyde training

Cyclodextrins – 5 tips for formulators

Today's cyclodextrin, education, ,

1. Be informed about possibilities
The range of cyclodextrins you can use in pharma / nutra / cosmetic products are very different – always understand the full range that you can pick from

2. Check the administration route
The regulatory status – especially in pharma – of the CDs differs. Depending on the admin route you pick, the applicable CDs will be shortlisted

3. Focus on your purpose and the active
There are over a dozen technologies that you can use to create a cyclodextrin complex. Which one you pick should be driven by the characteristics of the active and further processing of the complex

4. Don’t think binary
Cyclodextrin complexation is a sensitive equilibrium that you can influence to your advantage. Many additives can stabilize the complex and help you achieve a higher encapsulation rate and a reduction of cyclodextrin content.

5. Optimize
Once you understand all the components, there are still many aspects of the formulation that favor the complex formation. Temperature, pH, and counterions may all play a crucial role here.

Let’s discuss the details so that you can create the best possible product.

CarboHyde

Connecting biotechnology, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals

Today's cyclodextrin, ,

We at CarboHyde are proud to see our collaboration with Allbiom – Inteligência em Bioprocessos represented at the CIFARP – International Congress of Pharmaceutical Sciences!

The joint research presented by Lilian Pontes and Amanda Brandão, under the leadership of Dr. Ana Carolina Ré, beautifully demonstrates how cyclodextrins can serve as molecular bridges between agro- and pharma-biotechnology — enabling smarter delivery systems, modulation of microbial processes, and new bioproduction strategies.

This collaboration reflects CarboHyde’s mission to expand the application horizon of cyclodextrins beyond traditional boundaries — harnessing their supramolecular chemistry to open new routes in sustainable innovation.

A big thank you to our partners at Allbiom for their scientific excellence and inspiring teamwork. We’re excited to see where this synergy will lead next!

Are all SBECDs and HPBCDs created equal?

Today's cyclodextrin

Hardly.

That’s what you can also learn from this recent patent by Thorbjørn Terndrup Nielsen, Kim Lambertsen Larsen and Lars Wagner Städe form Aalborg University.

In the work they created some specially substituted CDs and compared their performance to commercial analogues.

Got curious which performed better? Let’s find out:

WO2025229196 PRIMARY SIDE MODIFIED SULFOALKYL ETHER- AND HYDROXYPROPYL-CYCLODEXTRINS, SYNTHESIS AND USE THEREOF

When Molecules Fall in Love

Today's cyclodextrin, education, ,

“The chemistry works between us.”
Have you ever felt that way?

Well, cyclodextrins certainly have. When they meet the right molecule, it’s more than just an interaction — it’s a connection.

At PODD 2025, our colleague Tamás Kiss, PhD, shared something truly close to CarboHyde’s heart: a story about chemistry, but not the kind you find only in a lab. His presentation told a love story between two molecules — one that perfectly captures the essence of what we do.

One of the molecules was a bit unstable, unpredictable, and easily lost its direction when left on its own. It needed balance, support… maybe even a partner.

And then, it met a cyclodextrin.

Inside the cyclodextrin’s cavity, everything changed. Stability improved, solubility increased, and performance reached new levels. Together, they became stronger, more functional, and far more impressive than either could ever be alone.

That’s the beauty of cyclodextrins — they don’t just interact, they transform relationships at the molecular level.

At CarboHyde, we believe in this kind of chemistry — the kind that turns potential into performance and makes science feel a little like magic.

PODD_2025_CarboHyde_Tamás Kiss_pdf versionDownload

Ooops, we did it again

Today's cyclodextrin,

This time our flourishing GENEGUT collaboration produced a great paper on the SAR investigations of cyclodextrins in gene delivery.

This topic is essential to understand how cyclodextrins actually work when encapsulating different oligos and what are the ideal structures for the nanoparticle formation loading and transfection.

Got your attention?

Huge admiration to our collaborators, Ayse Kont, PhD, Monique Mendonca, PhD, Andrew Lindsay, Michael Cronin, Mary Cahill and Caitriona O’Driscoll

And last but not least, our team members, Milo and Kristóf.

The impact of cyclodextrin architecture and charge for optimized nucleic acid delivery: A comparison of monomers, dimers, and polymers – ScienceDirect

Removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances

Today's cyclodextrin,

We have already seen many cyclodextrin-based approaches to the problem. Some more scientific, others, like that of Cyclopure, completely practival.

This review from Dario Lacalamita, Chiara Mongiovì, Grégorio Crini & Nadia Morin-Crini collects the strategies of CDs dealing with forever pollutants.

Cyclodextrin-based materials include cross-linked compounds, molecularly imprinted polymers, covalent organic frameworks, and silica hybrids.

Cyclodextrin-based materials are much more efficient for the remediation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, because these cage molecules can be designed to specifically recognize pollutants.

As a consequence, cyclodextrin-based materials display much higher adsorption coefficients, in the range of 104—106 L per Kg, compared to less than 104 L per Kg for activated carbon.

Cyclodextrins for the removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances: a review | Environmental Chemistry Letters

Cyclodextrins at CPHI

news, Today's cyclodextrin, ,

he world’s largest pharmaceutical exhibition, CPHI Worldwide 2025, took place in Frankfurt between 28–30 October, bringing together the global pharma community under one roof.

With more than 60,000 attendees, 2,400 exhibitors, and representatives from over 160 countries, the event once again showcased innovation across every sector — from ingredients and FDF to packaging, outsourcing, and biopharmaceuticals.

Cyclodextrins were once again in the spotlight. Key players exhibiting such as WACKER, Roquette, CarboHyde, and Zibo Qianhui Biological Technology Co., Ltd., Shandong Binzhou Zhiyuan Biotechnology Co., Xi’an DELI Biochemical Industry Co, together with distributors like Ashland and Barentz, represented the backbone of the CD industry.

Numerous pharma companies also highlighted cyclodextrin-enabled formulations, including Sugammadex API producers and integrated CD-based drug delivery innovators.

Carbo CPHI CarboHyde

CarboHyde was proud to be part of it all — represented by Daniel Bisericaru, Balázs Kondoros, Tamás Vargadi, and Tamás Sohajda — meeting partners, exploring new ideas, and strengthening collaborations around next-generation cyclodextrin projects.

We have seen – beyond the traditional applications – interest in nutraceutical, wound healing, mucoadhesive, vaccine, protein, targeted drug delivery and many applications.

Thank you to everyone we met in Frankfurt — your passion and insights continue to drive the evolution of CD science and its pharmaceutical applications.

See you next year in Milan!