Devi Ratnasari, Jekmal Malau, Dhavina Maharani

Modification of black glutinous rice (Oryza Sativa var. glutinosa) starch: effect on pharmaceutical properties

Introduction

Modification of black glutinous rice (oryza sativa var. Glutinosa) starch: effect on pharmaceutical properties. Black glutinous rice starch modifications improve pharmaceutical properties. Learn how methods like autoclaving enhance compressibility, flowability, and swelling power, making it a potential excipient.

Abstract

Black glutinous rice is rich in starch, specifically amylopectin by 92-98%, making it a potential pharmaceutical excipient. However, black glutinous rice starch also has disadvantages, such as poor flowability and compressibility, which necessitate modification. This study investigates the impact of various modification methods on the pharmaceutical properties of black glutinous rice starch, including its Carr’s index, flowability, loss on drying, pH, and swelling power. The starches were modified using acetylation, butanol addition, autoclave-cooling, and pregelatinization. The results showed that modified butanol and pregelatinization exhibited increases in Carr’s index, 3.4 ± 0.13% and 31.10 ± 0.18%, respectively, indicating improved compressibility. Flow rate analysis revealed that pregelatinized starch exhibited the highest flowability, followed by autoclave-cooling, butanol, and acetylated starch. The swelling power was significantly enhanced in autoclave-cooled starch (100%), likely due to structural changes induced by high-temperature treatment, increasing water absorption. The pH values of all modified starches remained within pharmaceutically acceptable ranges (4–8). Overall, starch modification, particularly autoclaving and pregelatinization, significantly enhanced the functional properties relevant to pharmaceutical applications, highlighting their potential use as excipients in solid dosage forms.

Review

This study presents a timely investigation into enhancing the pharmaceutical utility of black glutinous rice starch, a promising material due to its high amylopectin content. Recognizing the inherent drawbacks of native starch, such as poor flowability and compressibility, the authors effectively highlight the critical need for modification to unlock its full potential as a pharmaceutical excipient. The clear objective—to systematically evaluate the impact of diverse modification techniques on key pharmaceutical properties—lays a solid foundation for addressing a significant challenge in the formulation of solid dosage forms, where excipient functionality is paramount. The research employed a comprehensive approach, testing four distinct modification methods: acetylation, butanol addition, autoclave-cooling, and pregelatinization. The results robustly demonstrate that specific modifications significantly improve critical pharmaceutical attributes. Notably, butanol addition and pregelatinization led to improved compressibility, as evidenced by increased Carr’s index values. Pregelatinized starch exhibited superior flowability, with autoclave-cooled starch also showing promising improvements. Furthermore, the significant enhancement in swelling power (100%) for autoclave-cooled starch, attributed to structural changes from high-temperature treatment, underscores its potential for disintegration or controlled release applications. Crucially, all modified starches maintained pharmaceutically acceptable pH ranges, confirming their suitability for formulation. Overall, this study successfully validates the hypothesis that modification can profoundly enhance the functional properties of black glutinous rice starch for pharmaceutical applications. The findings strongly suggest that autoclave-cooling and pregelatinization, in particular, yield starches with desirable characteristics such as improved flowability, compressibility, and swelling power. This work significantly contributes to the excipient development landscape, providing valuable insights into the tailored utilization of a natural biopolymer. The demonstrated potential for these modified starches as viable excipients in solid dosage forms opens new avenues for formulation scientists seeking cost-effective and effective alternatives.

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