ASSESSMENT OF TAPIOCA STARCHES
OBTAINED AFTER DIFFERENT STEEPING
PERIODS AS BINDERS IN A PARACETAMOL
TABLET FORMULATION.
GBENGA ALEBIOWU*, KAYODE ADEMOYEWA OSINOIKI
Obafemi Awolowo University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of
Pharmaceutics, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
*corresponding author: galebiowu@oauife.edu.ng
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Abstract:

Starches obtained after steeping Tapioca tubers for different periods were each evaluated as a binding agent in paracetamol tablet formulations in comparison with corn starch British Pharmacopoeia (BP). Compressional properties were analyzed using density measurements and the compression equations of Heckel and Kawakita as assessment parameters, while the mechanical properties of the tablets were assessed with the use of the tensile strength (TS) and the brittle fracture index (BFI) of the tablets. Formulations containing longer steeping period starches as binding agent showed a slower onset of plastic deformation - high value of P_Y, and a higher amount of deformation during compression-low value of P_K. Both P_Y and P_K were affected by the concentration of the starch binders. The TS of the paracetamol tablets increased with the increase in the binder concentration and with the subsequent increase in starch steeping period while the BFI of the tablets decreased accordingly. Starch obtained after 72 h steeping of Tapioca tubers showed a similar result with corn starch BP. The results generally suggest that the steeping period would influence the activity of a starch binder in a formulation.

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