Evaluation of Some Starches as Disintegrants in Sodium Salicylate Tablet Formulations

Abstract

The disintegrant properties of official maize and potato starches and locally produced cassava starch in sodium salicylate tablet formulations were studied. The disintegrants were added intragranularly in each batch. Concentration range of 5 % to 15 % w/w of each disintegrant was used. In vitro dissolution profile, uniformity of weight and content, disintegration time, friability and hardness tests were also evaluated. The mean disintegration times obtained at 5 % disintegrant concentrations were 32.33, 33.83, and 41.50 minutes for tablets formulated with maize, cassava and potato starches respectively. At 10 % w/w starch concentration, the mean disintegration times were 28.66, 34.67 and 32.33 minutes for maize, cassava and potato starches respectively, while at 15 % w/w, the results were 33.33, 46.67 and 42.67 minutes for maize, cassava and potato starches respectively. The T50 % obtained for all the batches of tablets produced indicates that all the disintegrants released up to 50 % of the active ingredient within 18 minutes for the range of concentrations investigated. The study showed that the starches tested performed relatively well as disintegrants in the order: maize > potato > cassava, with maize and potato being optimum at 10 % w/w while the locally produced cassava starch was optimum at 5 % w/w in the sodium salicylate tablet formulations.

Keywords: disintegrant properties, maize starch, potato starch, cassava starch, sodium salicylate tablets

Nigerian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, Vol. 8 No 1 pp. 203 - 217 (September 2010)