Potato Starch
Excipient (pharmacologically inactive substance)
What is Potato Starch?
Starches are typically derived from corn or potato. Starches are used in the pharmaceutical industry for a wide variety of reasons, such as an excipient, a tablet and capsule diluent, a tablet and capsule disintegrant, a glidant, or as binder. Disintegrants enable tablets and capsules to break down into smaller fragments (dissolve) so that the drug can be released for absorption.[1] Starches also absorb water rapidly, allowing tablets to disintegrate appropriately.
Starches are also used in the food manufacturing industry for processing, and as food thickeners or stabilizers. There are many other diverse uses for starches in the manufacturing industry. Pregelatinized starch derives primarily from corn, has been cooked and then dried. Instant puddings, pie fillings, soup mixes, salad dressings, candy often contain pregelatinized starch.[2]
Pregelatinized starches (dried, cooked starches) are highly digestible. Consumption of excessive quantities of raw starch has resulted in obesity and iron-deficiency anemia in human subjects. However, there is no evidence to suspect a hazard to the public when starches are used at levels that are now current or that might reasonably be expected in the future; indeed they are consumed daily in most diets.[3]
[1] Dave RH. Overview of pharmaceutical excipients used in tablets and capsules. Drug Topics (online). Advanstar. 10/24/2008 http://drugtopics.modernmedicine.com/drugtopics/Top+News/Overview-of-pharmaceutical-excipients-used-in-tabl/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/561047. Accessed 08/19/2011
[2] David A Bender. Starch, Pregelatinized. A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Retrieved March 19, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-starchpregelatinized.html
[3] FDA’s SCOGS database; Wheat Starch; SCOGS-Report Number: 115; http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/fcn/fcnDetailNavigation.cfm?rpt=scogsListing&id=365 Accessed March 19, 2012.
Top Medications Containing Potato Starch
- Akineton HCl 2 mg (Par Pharmaceutical Inc.)
- Captopril 12.5 mg (West-Ward Pharmaceutical Corporation)
- Captopril 100 mg (West-Ward Pharmaceutical Corporation)
- Daraprim 25 mg (GlaxoSmithKline)
- DDAVP 0.1 MG (Sanofi-Aventis)
- DDAVP 0.2 mg (Aventis Pharmaceuticals)
- Desmopressin Acetate 0.1 mg (Barr Laboratories, Inc.)
- Imuran 50 mg (Prometheus Laboratories Inc.)
- Kemadrin 5 mg (Monarch Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)
- Lanoxin 125 mcg (0.125 mg) (GlaxoSmithKline)
- Lanoxin 250 mcg (0.25 mg) (GlaxoSmithKline)
- Lotensin 20 mg (Novartis Pharmaceuticals)
- Lotensin 10 mg (Novartis Pharmaceuticals)
- Lotensin 40 mg (Novartis Pharmaceuticals)
- Mercaptopurine 50 mg (Teva Pharmaceuticals USA)
- Mercaptopurine 50 mg (Roxane Laboratories, Inc.)
- Methimazole 5 mg (URL Pharma)
- Methimazole 10 mg (URL Pharma)
- THIOGUANINE 40 MG (GSK Pharm)
- Zyloprim 300 mg (Prometheus Laboratories Inc.)
