Comparative Binding Effects of Wheat, Rice and Maize Starches in Chloroquine Phosphate Tablet Formulations

Abstarct: This study was carried out to compare the binding effects of rice and wheat starches with that of the official starch; maize starch BP. Granule properties such as angle of repose, moisture content, bulk and tapped densities, Hausner’s ratio, Carr’s index and tablet properties which included weight uniformity, friability, disintegration times, and dissolution rates using standard methods. Mucilages of the starches of varying concentrations of 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5%w/v were used to produce chloroquine phosphate granules by wet granulation method and compressed into tablets at 4kgF.An increase in binder concentration led to an increase in crushing strength, decrease in friability and increase in disintegration time of the tablets. W heat starch produced the hardest tablets and also the least friable tablets, the longest disintegration time and dissolution time when compared to maize starch BP. Wheat starch can be a useful binding agent especially where high bond strength is desired especially in the formulation of chewable tablets and lozenges.