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Pharmaceutical Syrup: 1-Introduction

This document discusses pharmaceutical syrups. It defines syrups as concentrated aqueous sugar solutions that can contain flavorings and medications. There are three main types of syrup: simple syrups containing only sugar and water, non-medicated syrups with flavorings but no drugs, and medicated syrups that include therapeutic agents. The document outlines the key components of syrups including sugars, preservatives, flavorings, and colorings. It also describes several methods for preparing syrups and lists advantages like disguising taste and easing dosing as well as disadvantages like crystallization and delayed onset of action.

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942 views

Pharmaceutical Syrup: 1-Introduction

This document discusses pharmaceutical syrups. It defines syrups as concentrated aqueous sugar solutions that can contain flavorings and medications. There are three main types of syrup: simple syrups containing only sugar and water, non-medicated syrups with flavorings but no drugs, and medicated syrups that include therapeutic agents. The document outlines the key components of syrups including sugars, preservatives, flavorings, and colorings. It also describes several methods for preparing syrups and lists advantages like disguising taste and easing dosing as well as disadvantages like crystallization and delayed onset of action.

Uploaded by

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© © All Rights Reserved
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PHARMACEUTICAL SYRUP 1

1- Introduction:
Syrups are one of the types oral solutions, concentrated
aqueous preparations of a sugar or sugar substitute with or
without flavoring agents and medicinal substances. Syrups
containing flavoring agents but not medicinal substances
are called nonmedicated or flavored vehicles (syrups).

Table 1: Classification of oral solutions [2]

2- Type of syrup:
A- Simple syrup (NF): It is prepared by dissolving 85 g of sucrose in
enough purified water to make 100 mL of syrup (46.3 mL of water).

B- Non-medicated syrup: Syrups containing flavoring agents but not


medicinal substances are called non-medicated or flavored syrups.
These syrups are intended to serve as pleasant-tasting vehicles for
medicinal substances to be added in the extemporaneous
compounding of prescriptions or in the preparation of a standard
formula for a medicated syrup.

C- Medicated syrup: Syrups containing therapeutic agent are called medicated


syrup.
PHARMACEUTICAL SYRUP 2
Table 2: Example of medical syrup [3 , 4]
Representative
Syrup Commercial Comments product
Products

Anticonvulsant Sole or adjunctive therapy in


Depakene Syrup
simple (petit mal), complex
Sodium valproate (Abbott)
absence seizure disorders.

Prevention of respiratory
Antiviral infections caused by A2 (Asian)
Symmetrel Syrup
viral strains. Treatment of
Amantadine HCl (Endo)
idiopathic Parkinson disease.

3- Components of Syrups:
Most syrups contain the following components in addition to the purified water and
any medicinal agents present: (a) the sugar, usually sucrose, or sugar substitute used
to provide sweetness and viscosity; (b) antimicrobial preservatives; (c) flavorants;
and (d) colorants. Also, many types of syrups, especially those prepared
commercially, contain special solvents (including alcohol), solubilizing agents,
thickeners, or stabilizers.
A- Sucrose:
Sucrose is the sugar most frequently employed in syrups, although in special
circumstances, it may be replaced in whole or in part by other sugars or substances
such as sorbitol, glycerin, and propylene glycol.
The characteristic body that the sucrose and alternative agents seek to impart to the
syrup is essentially the result of attaining the proper viscosity. This quality, together
with the sweetness and flavorants, results in a type of pharmaceutical preparation
that masks the taste of added medicinal agents.
PHARMACEUTICAL SYRUP 3
B- Antimicrobial Preservative:
The amount of a preservative required to protect a syrup against microbial growth
varies with the proportion of water available for growth, the nature and inherent
preservative activity of some formulative materials (e.g., many flavoring oils that are
inherently sterile and possess antimicrobial activity), and the capability of the
preservative itself.
Among the preservatives commonly used in syrups with
the usually effective concentrations are benzoic acid 0.1%
to 0.2%, sodium benzoate 0.1% to 0.2%, and various
combinations of methylparabens, propylparabens, and
butylparabens totaling about 0.1%.

C- Flavorant:
Most syrups are flavored with synthetic flavorants or with
naturally occurring materials, such as volatile oils (e.g.,
orange oil), vanillin, and others, to render the syrup
pleasant tasting. Because syrups are aqueous preparations,
these flavorants must be water soluble.
However, sometimes a small amount of alcohol is added
to a syrup to ensure the continued solution of a poorly
water-soluble flavorant.

D- Colorant:
To enhance the appeal of the syrup, a coloring agent
that correlates with the flavorant employed (i.e., green
with mint, brown with chocolate) is used. Generally,
the colorant is water soluble, nonreactive with the other
syrup components, and color stable at the pH range and
under the intensity of light that the syrup is likely to
encounter during its shelf life.

4- Preparation of Syrups:
Syrups are most frequently prepared by one of four general methods, depending on
the physical and chemical characteristics of the ingredients. Broadly stated, these
methods are (a) solution of the ingredients with the aid of heat, (b) solution of the
ingredients by agitation without the use of heat or the simple admixture of liquid
components, (c) addition of sucrose to a prepared medicated liquid or to a flavored
liquid, and (d) percolation of either the source of the medicating substance or the
sucrose.
PHARMACEUTICAL SYRUP 4
5- Advantage and disadvantage of syrups:
A- Advantage:
• Act as antioxidant.
• Act as preservative Good patient compliance Economical and Safe to patient.
• Easiest route of administration.
• The liquid dosage form is expected for certain types of products like cough
medicine.
• Ability to disguise bad taste of medication.
• Thick character of syrup has soothing effect on irritated tissues of throat Contain
little or no alcohol.
• Easy to adjust the dose for a child's weight.

B- Disadvantage:
• During storage and use of syrup involves crystallization of the sugar within the
screw cap. This problem is solved by addition of polyhydric alcohols.
• First pass metabolism.
• Delayed onset of action.
• Not suitable in emergency and for unconscious patients.
PHARMACEUTICAL SYRUP 5
Reference:
[1] Cynthia J. Watkins, “Pharmacology clear and simple”,
Third edition, Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company,
(2018).

[2] James Swarbrick, “Encyclopedia of Pharmaceutical


Technology” third edition, Informa Health Care, (2007).

[3] Ansel, H., Allen, L. and Popovich, N., “Pharmaceutical


dosage forms and drug delivery system”, tenth edition,
Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, (2014).

[4] https://www.google.iq/imghp?hl=en&ogbl

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