Evaluation on the inclusion behavior of β-cyclodextrins with lycorine and its hydrochloride.

• Lyc and Lyc∙HCl molecules were included in β-CD, HP-β-CD and SBE-β-CD. • SBE-β-CD had better encapsulation effect for Lyc and Lyc∙HCl than β-CD and HP-β-CD. • Electrostatic interaction between sulfopropyl and quaternary amino groups played a crucial role in inclusion behavior. • The inclusion complexes based on SBE-β-CD showed good blood compatibility and pH-sensitive drug release in vitro. Lycorine (Lyc) and its hydrochloride (Lyc∙HCl) as effective drugs can fight against many diseases including novel coronavirus (COVID-19) based on their antiviral and antitumor mechanism. Beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) is considered a promising carrier in improving its efficacy while minimizing cytotoxicity due to the good spatial compatibility with Lyc. However, the detailed mechanism of inclusion interaction still remains to be further evaluated. In this paper, six inclusion complexes based on β-CDs, Lyc and Lyc∙HCl were processed through ultrasound in the mixed solvent of ethanol and water, and their inclusion behavior was characterized after lyophilization. It was found that the inclusion complexes based on sulfobutyl-beta-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD) and Lyc∙HCl had the best encapsulation effect among prepared inclusion complexes, which may be attributed to the electrostatic interaction between sulfonic group of SBE-β-CD and quaternary amino group of Lyc∙HCl. Moreover, the complexes based on SBE-β-CD displayed pH-sensitive drug release property, good solubilization, stability and blood compatibility, indicating their potential as suitable drug carriers for Lyc and Lyc∙HCl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]