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Data from: Influence of acetylation levels on dual-modified corn starch in colon-targeted Budesonide tablet formulation

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Abstract

Although starch is an affordable and safe biodegradable polymer, its rapid breakdown in the upper gastrointestinal tract renders it an unsuitable excipient for colon-targeted oral tablets. The current study examined the influence of varying degrees of acetylation on dual-modified (retrograded and acetylated) corn starch as a polymer in the formulation of colon-targeted tablets, emphasizing drug release and suitability for direct compression, utilizing Budesonide as a model drug. Starch acetylation was performed using acetic anhydride as the acetylating agent and water or acetic acid as the solvent to prepare starch with low, medium, and high degrees of substitution. Analysis techniques confirmed the presence of acetyl groups, revealed changes in crystalline structure, and illustrated morphological alterations post-acetylation. Among the various degrees of substitution (DS) studied, it was evident that starch acetylated to a high degree offered the most promising attributes as an excipient for colon-targeted drug delivery. Specifically, tablet formulation with a high DS of 2.01±0.03 (F4) demonstrated optimal mechanical strength, hardness, and desirable physical properties for achieving controlled drug release in the colon. Dissolution studies indicated F4's effectiveness, releasing 15.24% of the drug in pH 1.2 within 2 hours, followed by 37.58% and 22.53% in pH 7.4 and pH 6.8 phosphate buffers, covering the ileo-colonic region. In conclusion, the study emphasized the significance of the degree of substitution (DS) in acetylation for dual-modified starch in colon-targeted tablet formulations, highlighting its potential as an ideal option for drug delivery applications by achieving controlled drug release in the targeted ileo-colonic region.