Interaction of some steroid drugs with beta-cyclodextrin polymer.

The interaction of 15 steroidal drugs with a water-soluble beta-cyclodextrin polymer was studied by reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography in the absence and in the presence of 0.1 M sodium chloride. The relative strength of interaction was calculated and the relationship between the hydrophobicity parameters of the drugs and the strength of the drug-beta-cyclodextrin polymer was elucidated by principal component analysis. Drugs readily formed inclusion complexes with the cyclodextrin derivatives; the strength of the interaction was higher in the presence of sodium chloride. It was assumed that the formation of inclusion complexes may influence the behaviour of the drugs resulting in modified biological efficacy.