Determination of properties of pinhão starch: Analysis of its applicability as pharmaceutical excipient

• Pinhão starches were isolated from raw and cooked seeds without organic solvents.
• Cooked pinhão starch presents the advantage of phenolic compounds.
• Phenolics compounds in cooked pinhão starch could give it antioxidant properties.
• Pinhão starch has lower gelatinization temperature than corn starch.
• Native pinhão starch is a promising excipient for pharmaceutical field.

The purpose of the present study was to characterize pinhão (Araucaria angustifolia seeds) starch, from raw and cooked seeds, through pharmaceutical properties and evaluate its applicability as pharmaceutical excipient. The pinhão starch was characterized by determining starch content, moisture, pH, flow properties, solubility, phenolic content, colorimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, particle size distribution, morphology and thermal properties. For comparative purposes, the same parameters were evaluated for a commercial corn starch. The results showed that pinhão starch granules have a more rounded shape, present lower gelatinization temperature, has a more neutral pH and lower moisture content than corn starch. The cooked pinhão starch presents lower starch content, irregularity on size and shape, brownish color, phenolic compounds, amorphicity, passable flow and is classified as slightly soluble. The physicochemical and morphological characteristics preliminarily explored in the present study showed the applicability of pinhão starch as a pharmaceutical excipient.

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