ABSTRACT
Cyclodextrins comprise a series of cyclic oligosaccharides produced from starch by the action ofcyclodextrin glucosyltransferase (CGTase). Cyclodextrins were first discovered by Villiers in 1891 [1] as degradation products of potato starch. The foundations of cyclodextrin chemistry were laid down, however, between 1903 and 1911 by Schardinger, during which time he elucidated the definitive structure of cyclodextrins [2-4]. For this reason cyclodextrins were referred to as Schardinger dextrins in some of the earlier literature. They are also known as cycloamyloses or cycloglucans.
