novel u03b3 cd derivatives said novel u03b3 cd derivatives being u03b3 cd substituted with c 1 c 6 alkyl hydroxy c 1 c 6 alkyl carboxy c 1 c 6 alkyl or c 1 c 6 alkyloxycarbonyl c 1 c 6 alkyl or mixed ethers thereof in the foregoing definitions the term 34 c 1 c 6 alkyl 34 is meant to include straight and branched saturated hydrocarbon radicals having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms such as methyl ethyl 1 methylethyl 1 1 dimethylethyl propyl 2 methylpropyl butyl pentyl hexyl and the like preferred compounds are those u03b3 cd derivatives being u03b3 cd substituted with c 1 c 3 alkyl hydroxy c 2 c 4 alkyl carboxy c 1 c 2 alkyl or c 1 c 2 alkyloxycarbonyl c 1 c 2 alkyl or mixed ethers thereof particularly preferred new compounds are the methyl ethyl isopropyl hydroxyethyl hydroxypropyl hydroxybutyl carboxymethyl and carboxyethyl substituted u03b3 cyclodextrins and further the methyl hydroxyethyl methyl hydroxypropyl and methyl hydroxyethyl carboxymethyl substituted u03b3 cyclodextrins having a d s or m s of from 0 125 to 3 more preferably of from 0 3 to 2 the compounds of the present invention can generally be prepared by reacting the starting u03b3 cd with an appropriate o alkylating agent.