Open AccessDifferences in chemical structures between waxy maize‐ and potato starch‐based hydroxyethyl starch volume therapeutics
Author(s) -
SOMMERMEYER KLAUS,
CECH FRANZ,
SCHOSSOW RICHARDA
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
transfusion alternatives in transfusion medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1778-428X
pISSN - 1295-9022
DOI - 10.1111/j.1778-428x.2007.00071.x
Subject(s) - starch , waxy corn , potato starch , hydroxyethyl starch , maize starch , volume (thermodynamics) , food science , chemistry , biochemistry , thermodynamics , physics
SUMMARY Hydroxyethyl starch plasma volume expanders originating from different plant sources may have different physicochemical and clinical properties. We therefore compared the physicochemical properties of two medium‐molecular‐weight hydroxyethyl starch (HES) plasma volume expanders with a declared average molecular weight of 130 kDa and molar substitutions of 0.4 and 0.42, respectively, derived from waxy maize starch and potato starch, respectively. For HES based on waxy maize starch, we could demonstrate a higher mean degree of branching and a much lower degree of esterification with phosphoric acid, compared with the potato starch‐based product. This is in accordance with the Mark–Houwink plots of potato starch‐based HES showing higher values of the limiting viscosity over the whole molecular weight range in comparison with waxy maize starch‐based HES. The relevance of these data on pharmacological properties is discussed. Waxy maize‐ and potato starch‐based hydroxyethyl starch plasma volume expanders differ in their chemical fine structure. Their pharmacological and clinical equivalence remains to be proven with further studies.