Research Article

CYCLODEXTRIN COMPLEXATION AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE ANABOLIC PROPERTIES OF 20-HYDROXYECDYSONE

ISSN: 3067-2686

DOI Prefix: 10.5281/zenodo.

Authors: Jonathan Michael Reynolds
Published: Volume 11, Issue 3 (2024)
Date: July 3, 2025

Abstract

20-Hydroxyecdysone (20-HE) is currently undergoing a Phase 2 Clinical Trial for the treatment of sarcopenia. 20-HE is also currently being investigated by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as an anabolic agent. There are promising in vitro and in vivo results for 20-HE’s anabolic effect on muscles. However, 20-HE is molecularly a steroid, thus having relatively poor water solubility and poor human oral bioavailability. Cyclodextrins (CDs) are being used in pharmaceutics to improve the water solubility and oral bioavailability of lipophilic compounds. This paper explores 20-HE’s pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, with a particular interest on how the 20-HE-CD complex can improve the oral bioavailability of 20-HE. Consequently, making 20HE-CD a novel anabolic phytosteroid (APS).Β