International Journal of Drug Delivery Technology
Volume 15, Issue 3

Isolation and Characterization of Disintegrant Property of Dioscorea alata Starch Based Emulgel Formulations

Saptarshi Samajdar*, Iqbal Hossain, Sudip Saha, Surya Sekhar Mondal

Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Brainware University, 398, Ramkrishnapur Road, Barasat, Kolkata-700125, India

Received: 20th Jun, 2025; Revised: 9th Jul, 2025; Accepted: 10th Aug, 2025; Available Online: 25th Sep, 2025 

ABSTRACT

The present study aimed to isolate and characterize starch extracted from Dioscorea alata (purple yam) tubers and evaluate its potential as a disintegrant in an emulgel formulation using diclofenac as model drug. Starch was extracted using a wet extraction method, and its physicochemical properties, including micromeritics were performed as per standard procedures the starch was found to have excellent. Five starch-based Pickering emulgel was formulated using soy oil, Tween 80, deionized water, Carbopol 934, and starch isolated from the rhizomes of Dioscorea alata as an adjuvant. The isolated starch was incorporated at varying concentrations to assess its impact on emulgel characteristics. Formulations exhibited high spreadability (11.54–15.15 g·cm/s), with increased viscosity observed in those containing 5% and 7.5% starch compared to lower concentrations. Microscopic analysis revealed smaller globule sizes in starch-based emulgels relative to starch-free counterparts. Rheological studies showed that apparent viscosity decreased with rising temperature and increased with rising pH. In vitro release studies confirmed a marked disintegrant property of starch at both pH 5.5 and 7.2, with significantly enhanced drug release from starch-containing formulations. These findings highlight the potential of Dioscorea alata starch as a functional excipient in emulgel systems for topical and rectal drug delivery.

Keyword: Dioscorea starch, emulgel, disintegrant, viscosity, globule size

How to cite this article: Saptarshi Samajdar, Iqbal Hossain, Sudip Saha, Surya Sekhar Mondal. Isolation and Characterization of Disintegrant Property of Dioscorea alata Starch Based Emulgel Formulations. International Journal of Drug Delivery Technology. 2025;15(3):1082-89. doi: 10.25258/ijddt.15.3.24

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