The effect of various concentrations of 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin （HP-β-CD） on the solubility of dihydroartemisinin （DHA） in aqueous solution at different pHs was investigated. The influence of different concentrations of 2-hydroxypropyl-β- eyclodextrin on the stability of dihydroartemisinin at 50, 60, 70 and 80 ℃ was also studied. Inclusion complex of dihydroartemisinin with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin was prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. The 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin effectively inhibited the hydrolysis of dihydroartemisinin and greatly increased its solubility. Furthermore, we showed that the higher concentrations of 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin, the better stability and solubility of dihydroartemisinin. When the temperature was increased, the stability of dihydroartemisinin decreased. Our results indicated that 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin can be used as a stabilizer and solubilizer of dihydroartemisinin.
