Protective effects of cyclodextrins on edaravone degradation induced by atmospheric oxygen or additive oxidant

Antioxidants scavenge free radicals and may help prevent disease. However, due to poor stability, continuous intake is required. This study investigates the ability of cyclodextrin inclusion to improve the stability of the novel antioxidant edaravone. Kinetic models of cyclodextrin protection against edaravone oxidative decomposition were assessed and the data obtained was analyzed using Hanes–Woolf plots and Scatchard plots. In addition, complexation was analyzed using phase-solubility diagrams. The results show that cyclodextrin inclusion can control the oxidation rate of antioxidant molecules such as edaravone. This paper also demonstrates a substantial variation in the quantitative stability constant when calculated using different methods. This observation is relevant to determining complexation during the many and varied applications of cyclodextrins. The study establishes mechanisms to enhance the stability of antioxidants, which in turn may be useful to improve their bioavailability and may have translational implications in future. Graphical abstract