Interaction of Bile Salts with β-Cyclodextrins Reveals Nonclassical Hydrophobic Effect and Enthalpy–Entropy Compensation

Herein, we present an endeavor toward exploring the lacuna underlying the host:guest chemistry of inclusion complex formation between bile salt(s) and β-cyclodextrin(s) (βCDs). An extensive thermodynamic investigation based on isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) demonstrates a dominant contribution from exothermic enthalpy change (ΔH < 0) accompanying the phenomenon of inclusion complex formation, along with a relatively smaller contribution to total free energy change from the entropic component. However, the negative heat capacity change (ΔCp < 0) displays the hallmark for a pivotal role of hydrophobic effect underlying the interaction. Contrary to the classical hydrophobic effect, such apparently paradoxical thermodynamic signature has been adequately described under the notion of "nonclassical hydrophobic effect". On the basis of our results, the displacement of disordered water from hydrophobic binding sites has been argued to mark the enthalpic signature and the key role of such interaction forces is further corroborated from enthalpy–entropy compensation behavior showing indication for almost complete compensation. To this end, we have quantified the interaction of two bile salt molecules (namely, sodium deoxycholate and sodium glycocholate) with a series of varying chemical substituents on the host counterpart, namely, βCD, (2-hydroxypropyl)-βCD, and methyl βCD.