Isothermal titration calorimetry has been applied to the determination of the thermodynamic parameters of binding of beta-lactose, alpha,alpha-trehalose and sucrose with 15-crown-5 and 18-crown-6 in water at 298.15 K. The formation of 1:1 molecular associates has been found for the systems studied except 18-crown-6 and beta-lactose. The associates are preferentially or completely entropy stabilized. The most stable associate is formed between alpha,alpha-trehalose and 18-crown-6. The obtained values of thermodynamic parameters of binding are discussed from the point of view of solute-solvent interactions as well as conformational and structural peculiarities of the disaccharides (DS) and crown ethers (CE). (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.