Cyclodextrins
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Read the Interview of HeCrA's Young Researchers Coordinators, Maria Lekka & Evgenia Politi in DNA Voyagers
Our laboratory focuses on the supramolecular chemistry of cyclodextrins, with applications spanning food science, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and environmental protection.
In food research, we study the encapsulation of bioactive compounds from essential oils and natural products to enhance solubility, stability, antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial properties with prolonged action, as well as to achieve enantioseparation of racemic mixtures, offering innovative strategies for food preservation, flavor design, and nutraceutical development.
In the pharmaceutical field, our work integrates crystallographic, spectroscopic, and computational approaches to investigate cyclodextrin complexes with anticancer drugs, cannabinoids, and natural bioactives, including gefitinib, cannabidiol, piperine, capsaicin, and steroidal hormones such as progesterone and estradiol, while the cholesterol–β-cyclodextrin complex provides valuable insight into lipid removal from biological systems.
Extending to agrochemicals, we explore cyclodextrin-based complexes of indole-3-butyric acid to enhance its role as a plant growth regulator and study the encapsulation of herbicides such as 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T as a means of soil remediation and environmental protection.
By combining supramolecular chemistry, structural biology, and molecular biotechnology, our laboratory addresses key challenges at the interface of food safety, drug delivery, and sustainability, while pioneering advanced encapsulation technologies with strong potential for industrial and real-world applications.
Collaborating Members
Elias Christoforides, Postdoctoral Researcher, AUA Kostas Bethanis, Associate Professor, AUA
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