Current Overview of Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complexes of Volatile Oilsand their Constituents

Background: Volatile oils and their constituents have been considered as major bioactive natural compounds due to their wide therapeutic and biological activities in the field of pharmaceuticals in human healthcare. However, due to their poor solubility, their applications are limited. Inclusion complexation of volatile oils and their volatile constituents with cyclodextrins has emerged as a promising approach for the improvement of aqueous solubility, bioavailability, and stability. Objective: The present review summarizes various research investigations highlighting the complexation of volatile oils and their constituents with cyclodextrins and their derivatives. Additionally, we present the glimpses of patents published between 1998-2021to highlight the significance of inclusion of volatile oil in cyclodextrins. Methods: The selection of articles for the current review was carried out by using keywords ‘Cyclodextrin’, ‘Essential oil’, ‘Inclusion Complex’, ‘Encapsulation’ and ‘Essential oils/ volatile oils constituents’ in certain specific databases such as Elsevier (Science direct), Pubmed Medical subject headings (MeSH) and Medline. Result: 199 studies published were included in the review. Invitro and invivo studies revealed the efficacy of EOs and their VCs complexed with various types of CD when compared to free forms. Conclusion: This review shows the impact of cyclodextrin complexation on the solubility, bioavailability, stability, and biological activities of volatile oils and their constituents.