Use of modified tapioca starches as pharmaceutical excipients

Abstract

© Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University (Thailand) 2018. Tapioca starch is derived from the roots of cassava which is abundantly available in the world. During a past few decades, many attempts have been made to modify tapioca starch by physical and chemical processes. This review summarizes the current knowledge of modified tapioca starch and their applications as pharmaceutical excipients. These modified tapioca starches are carboxymethyl tapioca starch, acid-modified tapioca starch, cross-linked tapioca starch, grafted tapioca starch, enzyme-catalyzed tapioca starch, pregelatinized tapioca starch and hydroxypropyl tapioca starch. Wide ranges of application as a carrier for solid dispersion, a suspending agent, a direct compression filler, a matrix forming agent for controlled release tablet, a film coating agent and a carrier for mucoadhesive microsphere are reported. Thus, modified tapioca starches have a potential to be used as pharmaceutical excipients. Nevertheless, systematic studies on their properties and excipient functionalities are still be needed.