α-Cyclodextrin (alpha-cyclodextrin), sometimes abbreviated as α-CD, is a hexasaccharide derived from glucose. It is related to the β- (beta) and γ- (gamma) cyclodextrins, which contain seven and eight glucose units, respectively. All cyclodextrins are white, water-soluble solids with minimal toxicity. Cyclodextrins tend to bind other molecules in their quasi-cylindrical interiors. This inclusion (and release) behavior leads to applications in medicine. The compound is of wide interest because it exhibits host–guest properties, forming inclusion compounds.
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