These are hydroalcoholic preparations containing more potent substances such as antibiotics, antihistamines and sedatives. Alcohol concentration is usually 10%–40%. Elixirs are clear preparations and colored medications. They are more fluid than syrup because of the use of less-viscous ingredients. The characteristics of an elixir include the following: Elixirs are of two types as follows: Example…

Spirits can be prepared by the following methods: Example Aromatic spirit of ammonia   Ammonium bicarbonate 2.5 g Ammonia solution strong 7 ml Lemon oil 0.5 ml Nutmeg oil 0.3 ml Alcohol (90% v/v) 75 ml Purified water (q.s.) 100 ml Lemon oil, nutmeg oil, alcohol 90% and half the quantity of purified water are…

Spirits are alcoholic or hydroalcoholic solutions of volatile substances and contain 50% to 90% of alcohol. Water-insoluble oils are presented as solutions due to the high alcoholic content of spirit. Spirits are prepared by dissolving the volatile substances in ethanol 90% with the exception of aromatic ammonia spirit, which is prepared by distillation method. They…

The following are the various methods of preparation of aromatic waters: Example Chloroform water   Chloroform 2.5 ml Purified water (q.s.) 1000 ml This is a saturated solution of chloroform in purified water. The solubility of chloroform is 1 in 800 parts of water. The required quantity of chloroform is added to purified water and…

Aromatic waters are clear, saturated solutions of aromatic substances, which may be volatile oils or volatile solids in water. They are mainly used as the vehicle for oral liquid preparations due to their flavoring properties, for example, peppermint water. Some aromatic waters have preservative action and hence they are used as menstrum to extract crude drugs,…

A mixture is a liquid preparation intended for oral administration, in which the drug is dissolved, suspended or dispersed in a suitable vehicle. In general, several doses are contained in a bottle. A simple mixture contains only soluble ingredients. Advantages of a simple mixture are as follows: However, a simple mixture suffers from the following…

Syrups are prepared by any of the following four general methods, depending upon the physical and chemical characteristics of the ingredients: Solution with the aid of heat: Sugar is added to the purified water and heated until it dissolves. Then, the other required heat-stable components are added to the hot syrup, the mixture is cooled and…

Syrups are concentrated, aqueous preparations of a sugar or sugar substitutes with or without flavoring agents and medicinal substances. Syrups containing flavoring agents but not medicinal substances are called flavored vehicles/syrups, for example, cherry syrup, cocoa syrup. Syrups containing medicinal agents are called medicated syrups, for example, chlorpheniramine maleate syrup. Most syrups contain the following…

Solutions intended to be taken orally are called oral solutions. Their advantages include faster absorption from the gastrointestinal tract, uniformity of dosage, safe means of administering substances such as potassium iodide, which cause gastric pain and attractive appearance of the product. For drugs that are slowly soluble, the rate of dissolution may be enhanced by…

Objectionable taste in the formulation may lead to nausea, vomiting and patient non-compliance. An attractive flavor will encourage palatability and easy administration. The four basic taste sensations are salty, bitter, sweet and sour. A combination of flavoring agents is usually selected based on the nature of formulation and age group of the patients to whom…