A review on cyclodextrin encapsulation of essential oils and volatiles

Abstract Cyclodextrins (CyDs) are cyclic carbohydrates derived from starch. The parent CyDs contain six, seven and eight glucopyranose units and are referred as α ‐, β ‐ and γ ‐CyD, respectively. The most important property of the CyDs is the ability to establish specific interactions – molecular encapsulation – with various types of molecules through the formation of non‐covalently bonded entities, either in the solid phase or in aqueous solution. These nano‐encapsulating agents may form inclusion complexes with essential oils and volatiles, or their components, in order to improve their characteristics, such as transformation of liquid compounds into crystalline form; masking unpleasant smells and tastes of…