Exploration of Elephant Foot Yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius) Starch: An Alternative Natural Disintegrant for Pharmaceutical Application

Aim and Objectives: The aim of the current study is to isolate the starch from elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus paeonifolius) and investigate its potential as a disintegrant in tablet formulation as compare to standard corn starch. The objective of the study is to explore the applications of natural resources and develop an alternative to commercially available starches. Materials and Methods: Starch was isolated by a simple method, evaluated for phytochemical and physico-chemical properties. Tablets were prepared by wet granulation by varying concentrations of elephant foot yam or corn starch in the range of 2.5%, 5%, 7.5% and 10%. Further granules were evaluated for flow properties and tablets were evaluated for post-compression parameters. Results: It was found that the pH of the isolated starch sample was found to be neutral; it exhibited good swelling capacity and fair flow properties. P-XRD pattern showed a C-type diffraction pattern, SEM studies indicated that starch granules had a smooth surface. Granules possessed good flow properties and tablets complied with standard limits of weight variation. Hardness and friability were found in the range of 4.11-4.69 kg/cm2 and 0.11-0.50% respectively. The wetting time was found in the range of 7 to 35 sec for elephant foot yam starch and 16-49 sec for corn starch. Disintegration time for elephant foot yam starch was found to be 28 to 84 sec and for corn starch, it was 40 to 90 sec. Conclusion: Formulations containing elephant foot yam starch showed a similar dissolution profile as that of corn starch. Stability studies were performed on F4 batch and it was found stable for three months.