A Theoretical and Experimental Analysis of the Complexation Process Between Progesterone and Cyclodextrin Nanosponge

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mehrdad Hadadian
Behnam Mahdavi
Esmail Rezaei-Seresht
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran
10.22034/jams.2025.210145
Abstract
Progesterone, a widely used steroid drug for the treatment of luteal phase deficiency, has very low water solubility and bioavailability. Cyclodextrin nanosponges are polymer-like materials used to enhance the aqueous solubility and bioavailability of lipophilic drugs. In this study, cyclodextrin nanosponges were synthesized using β-cyclodextrin and hexamethylene diisocyanate as a crosslinker; meanwhile, the complexation of progesterone within the nanosponge was investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses. Furthermore, the encapsulation efficiency and phase solubility of progesterone were assessed by UV-visible spectroscopy. Characterization techniques confirm the successful formation of the complex. The nanosponge was found to be able to encapsulate 70% of the drug and increase its aqueous solubility approximately 45 times. Moreover, phase solubility studies suggest the formation of a 1:2 (drug:host) molar ratio complex. Moreover, molecular docking simulation confirms the obtained experimental data and ensures the formation of a 1:2 complex by visualizing a hydrogen bond between the drug and host molecules.
Keywords
Drug delivery
Molecular docking
Phase solubility
Nanosponge
Cyclodextrin

Journal of Applied Material Science
Volume 1, Issue 3
Summer 2025 Article ID:210145

  • Receive Date 07 June 2025
  • Revise Date 04 July 2025
  • Accept Date 09 July 2025