MatSciCon2023 Starch 3D printing for the creation of individualised medication

 The "Materials+Technologies" (GMT) Group at UPV/EHU has employed 3D printing to create tablets based on several types of starch for the aim of individualised therapy, and they have confirmed that medication release can be adjusted by selecting the proper starch type and tablet shape.

Traditional procedures often fail to address the unique demands of patients while still producing medications with particular criteria. In reality, because traditional medications frequently follow adult dosage guidelines, paediatric and elderly patients need doses that are appropriate for their age. Additionally, many patient populations require particular dosage form substitutes to make it easier to administer medications orally. Rapidly dissolving pills are becoming a popular choice in this regard because they start to dissolve as soon as they are placed on the tongue. Controlled drug release over time is another issue that pharmaceutical companies must deal with, particularly when the drug is hydrophobic, meaning that it is difficult to dissolve in water.

According to Kizkitza González of the UPV/Materials+Technologies EHU's Group, "3D printing technology is an advanced approach for personalised medicine and the production of on-demand drug-release tablets" in this context (GMT). The primary objective of this research was to create 3D printed starch-based tablets for the specialised delivery of hydrophobic medications, according to the paper's author.

In 3D printing, materials are deposited in accordance with the digital model created by computer design software, allowing for the layer-by-layer manufacturing of objects. "We were able to prepare tablets based on three types of starch - two types of maize starch (normal and waxy) and one type of potato starch- with different geometries and loaded with a non-soluble drug," said Kizkitza González. This was accomplished using a quick, straightforward methodology and 3D printing.

Potato with corn starch 

"The material produced has to be inserted into a syringe before printing. However, you must first confirm that the material can be printed on and will maintain its shape after printing. To accomplish this, a thorough rheological examination must be performed, "the UPV/EHU researcher noted. The three different forms of starch all exhibited the required rheological characteristics, however the potato starch's qualities made the printing process more difficult.

Furthermore, "We saw that virtually every property, including the development of a stable network or the release of a medication, was influenced by the starch's botanical origin. Normal maize starch causes an instantaneous release of the medicine, which is completed in 10 minutes. Waxy maize starch and potato starch cause a more gradual release of the drug, which can take up to 6 hours to complete. Additionally, we were able to show how crucial tablet geometry is to drug release "Kizkitza González remarked.

Finally, "There were also printed starch-combination pills. In this case, release takes place in two stages. For instance, in the case of an infection, a medication might be given right away to relieve pain using regular maize starch, and in a later stage, using either of the other two types of starch, an antibiotic could be released more consistently "the UPV/EHU researcher added.

Even though this study is just the beginning of a protracted process, Kizkitza González insists that "the starch-based 3D printed tablets they generated demonstrated intriguing features for future customised medicine delivery applications."