Comprehensive review of pharmaceutical grade starch (from Nigeria cassava (Manihot spp.) varieties)

Starch possesses extensive applications within the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. In pharmaceuticals, it serves as an excipient in dosage formulation. Pharmaceutical-grade starch is imported for utilization by Nigeria's pharmaceutical industry, as domestic production fails to meet industrial requirements, notwithstanding Nigeria's status as the world's largest cassava producer. Starch derived from cassava is economical and sustainable owing to its abundant availability, although it exhibits inherent deficiencies akin to other starches. These limitations can be mitigated through modification to enhance functional properties, thereby rendering cassava starch a valuable product in pharmaceutical applications. This paper examines cassava starch production in Nigeria, elucidating the disparity between local output and industrial demand, with particular focus on surmounting quality and technological constraints associated with cassava starch and its pharmaceutical utilization. The review delineates technological, quality, and investment impediments hindering the development of local cassava starch production, underscoring the imperative for integrated processing solutions to attain self-reliance in meeting Nigeria's pharmaceutical starch needs. Key words: Carbohydrates, pharmacopoeia, dosage, modification, gelatinization amylose, pharmaceutical.