Three Cyclodextrin Kings Bring Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh

As Christmas approaches, the figures of three scientists also known as the Three Wise Men, Three Kings, and Three Magi are often remembered as the first persons bearing Christmas gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. All these substances have actually something to do with cyclodextrins, indeed.

Gold

Nobel laureate Sir Fraser STODDART used first and patented an alpha-cyclodextrin based process for recovering?gold?from?gold-bearing materials: https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=WO2014172667 His method on extraction of gold from electronic wastes at low cost and high efficiency utilizing beta-cyclodextrin has been already discussed: https://cyclodextrinnews.com/2023/04/03/old-but-gold-literally/

Myrrh

Curzerene is a volatile, aromatic terpenoid found in many herbs and spices, such as Curcuma zeodaria also found in myrrh (Commiphora myrrha oleo gum resin). It has been found to make up a significant portion (13%) of the smoke produced from burning myrrh. The research group of Shengqiang TONG has published a paper discussing the stoichiometric ratio and apparent formation constants of inclusion complex of curzerene formed by methyl-β-cyclodextrin. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10826076.2020.1742737

Frankincense

Frankincense is an aromatic resin used in incense and perfumes, obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia (e.g. Boswellia sacra). The research group of Hassan Mohamed El-Said AZZAZY has recently reported on the improved antimicrobial activities of Boswellia sacra essential oils nanoencapsulated into hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/na/d3na00882g

Merry Christmas everyone!

This post was written by István Puskás and originally presented in Cyclodextrin News Blog .