Croton zehntneri, a plant native to northeastern Brazil, is widely used in folk medicine to treat gastrointestinal problems and has rich essential oil content. The essential oil of C. Zehntneri was analyzed by GC-MS, and its inclusion complex with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) was characterized by both vibrational spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Estragol was the major component identified in the essential oil by the study. IR spectra indicated an interaction of β-CD with essential oil from C. zehntneri, a finding corroborated by the stability constant and scanning calorimetry. Microencapsulation within β-CD has the potential to mask sensory attributes and increase aqueous solubility of oils, thereby improving their applicability as drugs.
