羟丙基-BETA-环糊精是目前研究最为深入，应用最广泛的环糊精衍生物之一。其主要应用于食品、医药、化妆品行业。
羟丙基-β-环糊精(HBC)是一种应用广泛的改性环糊精，由7个葡萄糖单位形成亲脂腔。药物与羟丙基-β-环糊精络合后，水溶性会大大增强。2-羟丙基的数目在5到14之间。
羟丙基-BETA-环糊精是一种理想的注射剂增溶剂和药物赋形剂，可以提高难溶性药物的水溶性，增加药物稳定性、提高药物生物利用度，使药剂的疗效增加或服用量减少，可以调整或控制药物的释放速度，降低药物毒副作用。 1、在食品、香料领域，可提高营养分子的稳定性和长效性，可掩盖或矫正食品营养分子的不良气味和口味，可改进生产工艺和产品品质。该产品在水中的溶解度很好，取代度4及以上可以和水任意比例混溶，在50%的乙醇和甲醇中也能溶解。 2、在化妆品原料中用作稳定剂、乳化剂、去味剂等，可降低化妆品中有机分子对皮肤粘膜组织的刺激，增强有效成分的稳定性，防止营养成分的挥发、氧化。它有一定的相对吸湿性。 3、在医药工业中，由于相对表面活性和溶血活性比较低且对肌肉没有刺激性，所以它是一种理想的注射剂增溶剂和药物赋形剂。
Cell treatment with (2-Hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin results in the activation of the transcription factor EB, a master regulator of lysosomal function and autophagy, and in enhancement of the cellular autophagic clearance capacity. (2-Hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin treatment reduces intracellular cholesterol resulting in significant leukemic cell growth inhibition through G2/M cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. The IC 50 values for (2-Hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin after 72 hours exposure are in the range of 3.86–10.09 mM. (2-Hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin also shows anticancer effects against CML cells expressing a T315I BCR-ABL mutation (that confers resistance to most ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors), and hypoxia-adapted CML cells that have characteristics of leukemic stem cells. In addition, colony forming ability of human primary AML and CML cells is inhibited by (2-Hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin.
(2-Hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin administration promotes transcription factor EB-mediated clearance of proteolipid aggregates that accumulate due to inefficient activity of the lysosome-autophagy system in cells derived from a patient with a lysosomal storage disorder. Intraperitoneal injection of (2-Hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin significantly improves survival in leukemia mouse models. Systemic administration of (2-Hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin to mice has no significant adverse effects.