Cyclodextrin-Grafted Polysaccharides as Sustainable Platforms for Biomedical and Environmental Applications

Cyclodextrins (CDs) offer a promising solution for enhancing the aqueous solubility of various hydrophobic molecules and facilitate their transport and delivery. Although CDs possess inherent molecular recognition capabilities, their derivatization is often essential to augment solubility and functional performance. A promising strategy involves the grafting of cyclodextrins onto polysaccharides. These hybrid systems combine the molecular recognition of CDs with the structural stability and versatility of biopolymers, yielding advanced materials suitable for biomedical and environmental applications. This review provides a comprehensive overview of CDs, focusing on their unique structural characteristics and their ability to form host-guest inclusion complexes with various hydrophobic molecules. The diverse methodologies used for CD modification and their immobilization onto polysaccharide backbones are described. Furthermore, the multifaceted applications of these grafted materials are explored. While in the pharmaceutical field these systems serve as advanced drug delivery platforms to improve the bioavailability and stability of hydrophobic therapeutic agents, in the environmental sector they demonstrate exceptional efficiency in wastewater treatment, acting as potent sorbents for the removal of organic pollutants and heavy metals. By bridging fundamental chemistry with practical applications, this review highlights the potential of CD-polysaccharide hybrids as sustainable solutions to pressing clinical and ecological challenges.