Structural insights into the inclusion complexes between clomiphene citrate and β-cyclodextrin: The mechanism of preferential isomeric selection.

A major challenge in pharmaceuticals for clinical applications is to alter the solubility, stability, and toxicity of drug molecules in living systems. Cyclodextrins (CDs) have the ability to form host-guest inclusion complexes with pharmaceuticals for further development of new drug formulations. The inclusion complex of clomiphene citrate (CL), a poorly water-soluble drug, with native β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) was characterized by a one and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic approach and also by molecular docking techniques. Here we report NMR and a computational approach in preferential isomeric selection of CL, which exists in two stereochemical isomers, enclomiphene citrate (ENC; E isomer) and zuclomiphene citrate (ZNC; Z isomer) with β-CD. β-CD cavity protons, namely, H-3' and H-5', experienced shielding in the presence of CL. The aromatic ring protons of the CL molecule were observed to be deshielded in the presence of β-CD. The stoichiometric ratio of the β-CD:CL inclusion complex was observed by NMR and found to be 1:1. The overall binding constant of β-CD:CL inclusion complexes was based on NMR chemical shifts and was calculated to be 50.21 M-1 . The change in Gibb's free energy (∆G) was calculated to be -9.80 KJ mol-1 . The orientation and structure of the β-CD:CL inclusion complexes are proposed on the basis of NMR and molecular docking studies. 2D 1 H-1 H ROESY confirmed the involvement of all three aromatic rings of CL in the inclusion complexation with β-CD in the solution, confirming the multiple equilibria between β-CD and CL. Molecular docking and 2D 1 H-1 H ROESY provide insight into the inclusion complexation of two isomers of CL into the β-CD cavity. A molecular docking technique further provided the different binding affinities of the E and Z isomers of CL with β-CD and confirmed the preference of the Z isomer binding for β-CD:CL inclusion complexes. The study indicates that the formation of a hydrogen bond between -O- of CL and the hydrogen atom of the hydroxyl group of β-CD was the main factor for noncovalent β-CD:CL inclusion complex formation and stabilization in the aqueous phase.