Processed starch powder with excellent disintegration properties and manufacturing method thereof

1. A processed starch powder having a water soluble component amount of more than 2% by weight and less than 10% by weight and a water retention capacity of more than 600% and 1500% or less, and being a nonbirefringent particle, wherein 90% or more of the starch particles, in terms of the particle number, maintain the shape derived from a natural starch when observed using an optical microscope.

2. The processed starch powder according to claim 1 , wherein an average particle size of primary particles is 25 to 80 μm in a dry state and an average particle size of primary particles is 45 to 160 μm in a swollen state in water.

3. The processed starch powder according to claim 1 , which is obtained without chemically treating a natural starch material having an amylose content of 20% by weight or more and less than 30% by weight.

4. The processed starch powder according to claim 1 , wherein the average particle size of primary particles of dry particles is larger than that of a natural starch material.

5. The processed starch powder according to claim 1 , wherein the natural starch material is potato starch.

6. The processed starch powder according to claim 1 , which is obtained by a process comprising the steps of (i) heat-treating a natural starch material using steam at 100 to 130° C. under reduced pressure conditions, (ii) preparing the heat-treated starch material into a starch slurry having a solid content of 1 to 20% by weight, (iii) heat-treating the starch slurry in a temperature range from more than a temperature of 10° C. higher than a gelatinization onset temperature intrinsic to starch to less than 90° C., and (iv) subsequently, drying the heat-treated starch slurry.

7. The processed starch powder according to claim 1 , wherein a sedimentation volume is 7 cm 3 /g or more and 20 cm 3 /g or less.

8. The processed starch powder according to claim 1 , wherein a swelling ratio of the primary particles in the dry state to the primary particles in the swollen state in water is 1.5 to 5.0.

9. The processed starch powder according to claim 1 , wherein the processed starch powder is a disintegrant.

10. A composition comprising the processed starch powder according to claim 1 and one or more active ingredients.

11. The composition according to claim 10 having a hardness of 100±10 N and a disintegration time of 70 seconds or less when obtained by direct compression.

12. The composition according to claim 10 having a hardness of 100±10 N and a disintegration time of 60 seconds or less when obtained by compression after high shear granulation.

13. The composition according to claim 10 having a hardness of 100±10 N and a disintegration time of 130 seconds or less when obtained by compression after fluidized bed granulation.

14. The composition according to claim 10 comprising 0.2 to 5% by weight of the processed starch powder in the composition.

15. The composition according to claim 10 , wherein the one or more active ingredients are selected from active pharmaceutical ingredients or food ingredients.

16. A process for manufacturing the processed starch powder according to claim 1 , the process comprising the steps of (i) heat-treating a natural starch material using steam at 100 to 130° C. under reduced pressure conditions, (ii) preparing the heat-treated starch material into a starch slurry having a solid content of 1 to 20% by weight, (iii) heat-treating the starch slurry in a temperature range from more than a temperature of 10° C. higher than a gelatinization onset temperature intrinsic to starch to less than 90° C., and (iv) subsequently, drying the heat-treated starch slurry.