Acetilación del almidón de millo (Pennisetum glaucum) y evaluación de su aplicación como posible excipiente

Native starches are very useful in the manufacture of pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food products. However, they have important limitations, which can be improved by physical, chemical or enzymatic modifications. Millet and maize starches (reference), were modified at three levels. Physicochemical and pharmaceutics tests were applied to evaluate changes in behavior. Under the same conditions, corn starch achieved higher substitution rates. Acetylation of starches, in more extensive, causes changes in the ability of the starch to trap water. The rates of swelling (swelling power) and sorption increase, as viscosity. There were an improve behavior in the characteristics of the gels and the water uptake. This behavior improves stabilization of gels, with less tendency to syneresis. The gelatinization temperature decreases as acetylation increases. By reducing the gelatinization temperature, gels are obtained in less time and with less energy consumption. The crystallinity profile do not change substantially. There were no significant changes in the pharmaceutics properties of the modified starches compared to the native ones. Higher uptake of water in the solid state favors rapid disintegration in tablets. These aspects show a potential use of acetylated millet starch in the pharmaceutical and food industry as a gelling and disintegrating agent.