Preparation and characterization of native starch-ibuprofen molecular inclusion complexes

Abstract Starch is a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer recognized as a versatile starting material for developing innovative drug delivery systems. In this way, the present research work investigates the ability of bamboo and corn starches to carrier ibuprofen via the formation of molecular inclusion complexes by the Acidification of an Alkaline Solution and the Heating-Sealing methods. The water ratio and the reaction time used in each procedure influence the yield and efficiency of complexation; thus, the yield varies between 16.3% and 89.6% for the bamboo starch and between 30.3% and 74.5% for the corn starch. The complexing efficiencies reach values up to 10.30% ± 0.02% when bamboo starch was used and up to 22.35% ± 0.04% for corn starch. The thermal characteristics and the pH-dependent drug release pattern exhibited by the obtained complexes keep a closer relationship with their semicrystalline structures. On this basis, starch complexes arise as promising alternatives to deliver active molecules at the intestinal level and offer attractive possibilities for generating added value to native starch sources like bamboo.