Modification of purple sweet potato starch (Ipomoea batatas L. Poir) with pragelatination and acetylation methods as disintegrant of paracetamol tablets

Background: Starch of sweet potatoes is one of the ingredients that has many benefits, including in the pharmaceutical field, especially as a pharmaceutical excipient in pharmaceutical formulations. But it has poor flow properties. Objective: The objective of the study is to isolate, characterise, modify and formulate the starch of Purple sweet potatoes (I. batatas L.Poir) into tablet dosage forms. Method: purple sweet potato starch obtained from the isolation, then modified to improve its flow properties. Modifications made were by pregelatination and acetylation. after obtaining starch that meets the standards in the pharmacopoeia, then starch is used as a disintegrant in the formulation of paracetamol tablets with a concentration of 15%. Result: The physicochemical characteristics of starch isolated from purple sweet potatoes are considered to meet the requirements of pharmaceutical excipients required in the Handbook of Pharmaceutical Excipients sixth edition and the United States Pharmacopeia 32nd edition. Conclusion: The starch from purple sweet potato has the potential as an alternative disintegrant for tablet formulation, but the amount used needs to be reduced so as not to produce brittle tablets.