Utilisation of local resources - a case for starch
2000
Riyanto, T.W. | Hadida, H. | Mohd Ibrahim, N.
The utilisation of local resources as pharmaceutical raw materials has always been of great research and commercial interest. Malaysia is rich in natural resources that have potential value as pharmaceutical actives or excipients. Starch is a common pharmaceutical excipient particularly in tablet manufacture, where it acts as a binder, disintegrant or diluent. It also possesses absorbent and emollient properties. As such, starch is also used in dermatological products as well as in the form of a mucilage as an antidote for iodine poisoning. The use of cassava, Dioscorea, Canna, arrowroot and palm starch as excipients for direct compression tablets was studied. From each of these plant sources, starch was extracted, isolated, pregelatinised and dried. The physiochemical characteristics of the dry pregelatinised starch, with only 2 per cent moisture content, were examined. Tests that were conducted included microscopic analysis, loss on drying, density, flowability, angle of repose, dilution potential, and compressibility index. The various starches were then formulated into direct compression tablets, where in compressibility enhancers were used to improve formulations, when required. Starch 1500 was used as the standard for comparison. The tablets were then evaluated using compendial tests for content, uniformity of content, dissolution, disintegration, and uniformity of weight as well as non-compendial tests for hardness and friability. Results revealed that the pregelatinised dioscorea starch, with the addition of a compressibility enhancer, appeared to be the best excipient in this study.
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