Sodium Starch Glycolate
Excipient (pharmacologically inactive substance)
What is Sodium Starch Glycolate?
Sodium starch glycolate is the sodium salt of carboxymethyl ether. Starch glycolates are of rice, potato, wheat or corn origin. Sodium starch glycoate is a white to off-white, tasteless, odorless, relatively free flowing powder.
Sodium starch glycolate is used as a pharmaceutical grade dissolution excipient for tablets and capsules. Sodium starch glycolate absorbs water rapidly, resulting in swelling which leads to rapid disintegration of tablets and granules. It is used as a disintegrant, a suspending agent and as a gelling agent. Without a disintegrant, tablets may not dissolve appropriately and may effect the amount of active ingredient absorbed, thereby decreasing effectiveness. [1] [2]
[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] Pformulate. Excipients. Sodium Starch Glycolate. 2004. http://www.pformulate.com/nastgly.htm Accessed October 17, 2011
Top Medications Containing Sodium Starch Glycolate
- Acetaminophen and Oxycodone Hydrochloride 325 mg / 5 mg (Qualitest Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
- Acetaminophen, Butalbital and Caffeine 325 mg / 50 mg / 40 mg (West-Ward Pharmaceutical Corporation)
- Atenolol 50 mg (Sandoz Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
- Atenolol 25 mg (Sandoz Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
- Chlorzoxazone 500 mg (Teva Pharmaceuticals USA)
- Clonidine Hydrochloride 0.1 mg (Actavis)
- Dicyclomine Hydrochloride 20 mg (Watson Laboratories, Inc.)
- Etodolac 400 mg (Taro Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.)
- Furosemide 40 mg (Roxane Laboratories, Inc.)
- Lortab 5/500 500 mg / 5 mg (UCB Pharma, Inc.)
- Metronidazole 500 mg (Teva Pharmaceuticals USA)
- Ondansetron Hydrochloride 4 mg (Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Inc.)
- Ondansetron Hydrochloride 8 mg (Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Inc.)
- Prednisone 20 mg (Qualitest Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
- Prednisone 10 mg (Qualitest Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
- Promethazine Hydrochloride 25 mg (Watson Pharmaceuticals)
- Tramadol Hydrochloride 50 mg (Akyma Pharmaceuticals)
- Ultracet 325 mg / 37.5 mg (Janssen Pharmaceuticals)
- Ultram 50 mg (Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)
- Zolpidem Tartrate 10 mg (Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Inc.)
