UV–vis and FTIR–ATR spectroscopic techniques to study the inclusion complexes of genistein with β-cyclodextrins

Abstract The effect of β-cyclodextrin (β-CyD), (2-hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CyD) and methyl-β-cyclodextrin (Me-β-CyD) complexation on the UV absorption of genistein (Gen) was studied in pure water. A phase solubility study was performed, according to the method reported by Higuchi and Connors, to evaluate the changes of isoflavone in the complexation state and the obtained diagrams suggested that it forms complexes with a stoichiometry of 1:1. Then, the solid complexes of genistein with these macrocycles in 1:1 molar ratio were prepared by the co-precipitation method and characterized by FTIR absorption spectroscopy in ATR geometry. The host–guest interactions have been evidenced by monitoring, in the FTIR–ATR spectra, the changes in some guest molecule bands relative to those observed in the spectra of the 1:1 physical mixtures and complexes. In particular, for the high-frequency O–H stretching band, a quantitative vibrational assignment of the observed sub-bands has been made. From the results, the inclusion phenomena have been discussed.