Sustainable cyclodextrin modification and alginate incorporation: viscoelastic properties, release behavior, and morphology in bulk and microbead hydrogel systemsČič, Maja (Avtor) Petek, Nejc (Avtor) Dogša, Iztok (Avtor) Damjanović, Andrijana (Avtor) Genorio, Boštjan (Avtor) Poklar Ulrih, Nataša (Avtor) Osojnik Črnivec, Ilja Gasan (Avtor) cyclodextrinalginatedry modificationsolvent-freehydrogelsviscoelasticityrheometrymicrocarrier designIncorporating cyclodextrins (CDs) into ionically crosslinked polysaccharide matrices offers a promising strategy for developing well-defined, safe-by-design and biocompatible carrier systems with tunable rheological properties. In this study, β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) was functionalized with citric acid (CDC) and maleic anhydride (CDM) using solvent-free synthesis to improve compatibility with alginate hydrogels. The modified CDs were characterized by FTIR, 1H NMR, DLS, zeta potential, and MS, confirming successful esterification (4.0 and 3.4 –OH substitution for CDC and CDM, respectively) and stable aqueous dispersion. Rheological measurements showed that native CD accelerated gelation (within approximately 30 s), while CDC and CDM delayed crosslinking (by 2 to 13 min) and reduced gel strength, narrowing the linear viscoelastic range to 0.015–0.089% strain due to competition between polycarboxylated CDs and alginate chains for Ca2+ ions. Vibrational prilling produced alginate microbeads with diameters of 800–1000 µm and a simultaneous increase in size and CD concentration. Hydrogels demonstrated high CD retention (>80% after 28 h) and slightly greater release of CDC and CDM than native CD. Overall, solvent-free modification of CDs with citric and maleic acids provides a sustainable approach to tailoring the gelation kinetics, viscoelasticity, and release behavior of alginate-based hydrogels, offering a versatile, food- and health-compliant platform for controlled delivery of bioactive compounds.20252025-11-25 13:10:47Neznano24308sl© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.