Carbohydrate Chronicles

Cyclodextrins – tiny molecular rings with a massive footprint in today’s healthcare and beyond. In this episode, we take a closer look at the cyclodextrin industry: where it stands today, how it’s evolving across pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and food, and why global demand is steadily on the rise. We’ll unpack market trends, real-world applications, and the opportunities shaping the future of...

Curcumin , the main active ingredient found in turmeric ( Curcuma longa ), offers a wide range of beneficial pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties. However, its potential therapeutic benefits have been severely limited by its poor water solubility, which leads to very low oral bioavailability and rapid metabolism in the human body. Curcumi...

This podcast episode is about the key application of cyclodextrins: solubility enhancement.  Cyclodextrins (CDs) are important functional excipients in pharmaceuticals, primarily recognized for their ability to  solubilize poorly water-soluble drugs . They are cyclic oligosaccharides derived from starch, shaped like a truncated cone or torus. The exterior of the cone is hydrophilic, while its cent...

Unlocking Molecular Secrets: The Tricks of Making Cyclodextrin ComplexesEver wondered how to transform challenging compounds into powerful, effective solutions? Join us for the 7th episode of Carbohydrate Chronicles podcast where we delve into the fascinating world of cyclodextrins – these remarkable molecules with a unique truncated cone or donut shape and a hydrophobic cavity. Discover how they...

Step into the future of medicine and manufacturing, where a remarkable class of compounds called cyclodextrins (CDs) is transforming the landscape of 3D and 4D printing for critical biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. Imagine 3D printed objects that dynamically change shape in response to environmental cues like moisture or temperature – a concept known as 4D printing, vividly demonstrated...

Cyclodextrins are discussed in the sources as potential supplements for athletes, with information provided on two main types: Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin (HBCD) and Alpha-cyclodextrin (αCD). Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin (HBCD), often referred to as Cluster Dextrin, is described as a complex carbohydrate derived from starch that has high digestibility and absorption rates, allowing for relati...

New Podcast Episode: Cyclodextrins in Food and Nutraceuticals Unlock the hidden potential of cyclodextrins in your products! From improving bioavailability to enhancing stability and masking off-flavors, cyclodextrins are revolutionizing the way we formulate food supplements and functional ingredients. In this episode, we break down the science into practical insights and explore how these ring-sh...

🎙️  Understanding Cyclodextrin Safety – Myths & Facts Cyclodextrins play a crucial role in pharmaceuticals, improving drug solubility and stability. But how do they interact with the human body, and what do we really know about their safety? In this episode, we explore: 🔹 How dosage and route of administration impact cyclodextrin safety 🔹 Key findings on oral, nasal, dermal, ocular, and intr...

🎙️  New Episode Alert – Carbohydrate Chronicles, S2E2 In this episode of  Carbohydrate Chronicles , we’re diving deep into the world of  cyclodextrins (CDs)  and their fascinating potential in  biological drug formulations . From stabilizing delicate protein therapeutics to boosting vaccine efficacy and breaking new ground in gene therapy, CDs are proving to be far more than just sugar rings. We u...

Podcast Summary: Cyclodextrins – More Than Just Pharma In this episode, we explore the surprising versatility of cyclodextrins —natural molecules that improve solubility, stability, and delivery of other substances. They're not just for medicine! Cyclodextrins are used in: Supplements : Boosting ingredients like vitamin D and curcumin. Food : Enhancing texture, shelf life, and reducing cholest...

Carbohydrate chemistry, the final frontier. These ubiquitous building blocks of life are still the most challenging biomolecules to manipulate due to their structural diversity and complexity. A realm where only the bravest creative chemists can go, to deeply understand their biological importance, explore and embrace their therapeutic value. The use of carbohydrates as actives is an emerging fiel...

As we already learned in the past weeks, glycoscience is certainly an interdisciplinary subject where both chemistry and biology play a critical role in understanding and success. Steering a ship in these waters is a very complex challenge that needs focus and persistence. Our guest this week, Barbara Richichi, Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of Florence is a captain on such a s...

For decades, scientists lived in a paradigm that cyclodextrins are useful excipients and additives with numerous applications and that’s it. The pioneers came and broke these chains, releasing the true potential of these molecules. First Sugammadex was discovered (which is now a blockbuster drug), and later long known cyclodextrins were re-purposed as active ingredients for various therapeutic ind...

Over the past weeks, we have talked a lot about Glycoscience and research in this field. But what happens with these compounds and inventions once they fulfill the dream? They get commercialized and manufactured and they start their true journey in the pharmaceutical industry. Roquette Fréres is one of the world’s biggest excipient manufacturers and certainly a leader in sugars and cyclodextrins....

In earlier episodes, we have touched the topic of cyclodextrin based drug delivery and even nanotechnology, yet today, with our guest, Erem Bilensoy, we are taking a deep dive. As we will hear today, cyclodextrins are not only capable of solubilizing and stabilizing actives, but in good hands also to remove toxic molecules from the body, enhance cellular delivery, compose targeted drug delivery sy...

We already had some interviews with researchers focusing on cyclodextrins, yet no one may understand these compounds' true nature and chemical behavior like our guest today, Matthieu Sollogoub. He is less interested in the traditional uses of cyclodextrins within the pharma industry, like small molecule solubilization and stabilization and focuses much more on creating unique compounds with fu...

Carbohydrates are molecules expressed on the surface of nearly all living cells, and their interaction with carbohydrate-binding proteins is critical to many immunobiological processes. Accordingly, carbohydrates are utilized as antigens in many licensed vaccines against bacterial pathogens. More recently, they have also been considered as adjuvants. Our Guest today, Luigi Lay, Professor of Chemis...

Developing drug delivery systems is a challenging area of the pharmaceutical industry that faces real challenges in the 21st century, like the need for targeted delivery, triggered release, personalized therapy, effective formulation of gene and cell therapy drugs, and the list goes on endlessly. Cyclodextrins, in the classical sense, have limitations in these fields, as they cannot target tissues...

Glycoscience is the study of carbohydrates (sugars) and their roles in biology. Today, we are focusing on lectins. Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins that are highly specific for sugar groups that are part of other molecules, so cause agglutination of particular cells or precipitation of glycoconjugates and polysaccharides. Lectins have a role in recognition at the cellular and molecular le...

Milo Malanga is an author of over 50 scientific publications and several patents despite his young age and one of the most well-connected researchers in this field. His background is in medicinal chemistry, and he focuses on creating novel cyclodextrins for innovative applications. Currently, he is also a principal investigator from CarboHyde in Genegut, a Horizon Europe grant focusing on discover...

Designing novel sugars and understanding how they work is an extremely challenging task. Accordingly, carbohydrate chemistry and supramolecular carbohydrate chemistry require devotion, persistence and creativity. José Manuel Garcia Fernandez, professor at University of Seville is working on such challenging innovations and discoveries around the uses of novel sugars for innovative applications. Jo...

Cyclodextrins are cyclic molecules made up of multiple glucose units linked together. They come in three forms: alpha-, beta-, and gamma-cyclodextrin. They are formed by the action of enzymes called cyclodextrin glycosyltransferases from starch. Cyclodextrins have a hydrophobic interior and hydrophilic exterior, which makes them useful for encapsulating hydrophobic molecules in their cavity and th...

Glycoscience is the study of carbohydrates (sugars) and their roles in biology. Glycans play critical roles in many biological processes such as cell signaling, cell adhesion, immune response, and protein folding, among others. Glycan analysis and characterization is an increasingly important area for biopharma as understanding glycan profiles helps in the development of new therapeutic agents. It...