81
situation (Donaruma 1988). For a material to be biocompatible, it has to fulfill the
following criteria:
1. Biocompatibility depends not only on the materials but also on conditions in
which the material is used.
2. Many applications require that the material reacts with the tissues instead of
being ignored by them.
3. Some applications require that the material must degrade over time.
Starch and starch based products owe their biocompatibility to the presence of
structural components that are biocompatible. These include products obtained
from partial hydrolysis and starch polymer molecules. The biocompatible nature of
starch-based materials makes them an important ingredient for biomedical
applications.
Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Uses of Starch
Modified Starches in Drug Delivery
Native starches undergo extensive modification (esterification, crosslinking, etherification, grafting etc.) in order to be used as carriers for the controlled release of
drugs for better patient compliances. The process of modification makes the native
starch a potential biomaterial for developing drug delivery systems by offering more
reactive sites for carrying bioactive compounds and can be easily metabolized in the
human body. Starch based hydrogels or microspheres are suitable for drug delivery
(Reis et al. 2008; Rosado Balmayor et al. 2008). Some starches have a good potential as drug release retardants. These include short chained amylose (amylodextrin),
pregelatinized starch, substituted amylase, and cross linked amylase. Starch-ureaborate has been used as an efficient rate controlling matrix for controlled release of
glyclazide, diclofenac and carbamazepine. Calcium starch (a modified starch prepared by cross linking the alkali gelatinized starch with calcium chloride), has been
reported to be used for controlled release of glyclazide, diltiazem hydrochloride and
diclofenac.
Modified Starch as Excipient in Pharmaceutical Formulations
Excipients, often referred to as “diluents”, “fillers” or “bulking agents”, are additives used to process therapeutically active ingredients into final pharmaceutical
dosages suitable for administration to patients (Wade and Weller 1994). It is formulated alongside the active ingredient of medication for the purpose of providing
better stabilization, bulking up drug formulations containing otherwise, very small
Recent Advances in the Application of Starch and Resistant Starch
situation (Donaruma 1988). For a material to be biocompatible, it has to fulfill the
following criteria:
1. Biocompatibility depends not only on the materials but also on conditions in
which the material is used.
2. Many applications require that the material reacts with the tissues instead of
being ignored by them.
3. Some applications require that the material must degrade over time.
Starch and starch based products owe their biocompatibility to the presence of
structural components that are biocompatible. These include products obtained
from partial hydrolysis and starch polymer molecules. The biocompatible nature of
starch-based materials makes them an important ingredient for biomedical
applications.
Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Uses of Starch
Modified Starches in Drug Delivery
Native starches undergo extensive modification (esterification, crosslinking, etherification, grafting etc.) in order to be used as carriers for the controlled release of
drugs for better patient compliances. The process of modification makes the native
starch a potential biomaterial for developing drug delivery systems by offering more
reactive sites for carrying bioactive compounds and can be easily metabolized in the
human body. Starch based hydrogels or microspheres are suitable for drug delivery
(Reis et al. 2008; Rosado Balmayor et al. 2008). Some starches have a good potential as drug release retardants. These include short chained amylose (amylodextrin),
pregelatinized starch, substituted amylase, and cross linked amylase. Starch-ureaborate has been used as an efficient rate controlling matrix for controlled release of
glyclazide, diclofenac and carbamazepine. Calcium starch (a modified starch prepared by cross linking the alkali gelatinized starch with calcium chloride), has been
reported to be used for controlled release of glyclazide, diltiazem hydrochloride and
diclofenac.
Modified Starch as Excipient in Pharmaceutical Formulations
Excipients, often referred to as “diluents”, “fillers” or “bulking agents”, are additives used to process therapeutically active ingredients into final pharmaceutical
dosages suitable for administration to patients (Wade and Weller 1994). It is formulated alongside the active ingredient of medication for the purpose of providing
better stabilization, bulking up drug formulations containing otherwise, very small
Recent Advances in the Application of Starch and Resistant Starch