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SYRUP
❖ Definition
• Syrups are concentrated aqueous preparations of a sugar or sugar substitute with or without flavouring
agents and medicinal substance
• Sugar typically used is sucrose
➢ Advantage
• Appropriate for any age group patient
• Easiest route of administration
• Economical and safe to the patient
• No nursing is required
• Expected for certain type of products like cough medicine
➢ Disadvantage
• Delayed onset of action
• Not suitable in emergency
• Not suitable for unconscious patient
• Not convenient for a patient having gastrointestinal disorder
• Constipation, ulceration and hyperacidity in stomach
• Can’t avoid first pass metabolism
❖ Classification of syrup
1) Simple syrup
➢ Definition
• When purified water alone is used in making the solution of sucrose, the preparation is known as
Syrup or simple syrup
Or
• Simple syrup contain only sucrose (sugar) and purified water
➢ IP/BP and USP
• USP- Simple syrup contain 85% w/v (65% w/w) sugar(sucrose) solution and 1.313 specific gravity
• IP/BP- 66.7 % w/w sugar solution

2) Medicated syrup
When syrup contains medicinal substance is known as medicated syrup. Ex- cough syrup, Ginger syrup
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3) Flavoured syrup
Syrups containing flavoring agents but not medicinal substances are called flavoured syrups.
Example- cherry,orange syrup Raspberry syrup

❖ Composition of syrup
i) Sweetening Agent: e.g. Sucrose, Sugar.
ii) Antimicrobial Preservatives: e.g. Benzoic acid, Sodium benzoate, Methyl-, propyl-, and butyl-parabens.
iii) Flavorings agents: e.g. Orange oil, Vanillin and others.
iv) Colorants: e.g. green with mint, chocolate with brown etc.
v) Alcohol (15 to 20%) [if alcohol soluble components are present in syrup]
vi) Purified water
❖ Methods of preparation
Syrups are prepared by following four methods
i) Solution with heat
ii) Solution by agitation
iii) Addition of sucrose to a liquid medication or flavoured liquid
iv) Percolation
1. Solution with heat/ Hot processes
• If the constituents are not volatile or not degraded by heat then this method is suitable
• Purified water is heated to 80-85 oC and then removed from its heat source
• desired amount of sucrose is weighed and added with vigorous agitation
• Now other heat stable components are added to the hot syrup. The mixture is allowed to pool and its
volume is adjusted to proper level by addition of purified water
• If heat labile agents or volatile substances are to be added then they are incorporated into the syrup
after cooling to room temperature
• Ex- Acacia syrup, Cocoa syrup, Syrup IP

• Inversion of sugar
→ When heat is used in the preparation of syrups inversion of a slight portion of the sucrose (a
disaccharide) into monosaccharides, dextrose (glucose) and fructose(levulose) by hydrolyzation
process. This hydrolytic reaction is called inversion and the combination of the two
monosaccharide products is called invert sugar
→ Sucrose solutions are dextrorotatory but as hydrolysis proceeds the optical rotation decreases
and becomes levorotatory when the reaction is complete. The rate of inversion is increased
greatly by the presence of acids the hydrogen ion act as a catalyst in this hydrolytic reaction
→ Fructose is responsible for the darkening of syrup
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→ Invert sugar is more readily fermentable than sucrose and tend to be darker in colour but it's two
reducing sugars prevent the oxidation of other substances
• Invert sugar properties:
→ More susceptible for fermentation and microbial growth.
→ Tend to darken in color.
→ But decrease oxidation of other drugs (levulose formed is reducing sugar)
→ Levulose formed is sweeter than sucrose.
→ The rate of inversion process is enhanced by the medium acidity.
→ Overheating cause caramelizaltion of sucrose (amber color)
→ Caramelization: evidenced by yellow-to-brown coloring of syrup due to burning of sucrose
→ Syrups cannot be sterilized by autoclaving without caramelization (amber color).

2. Solution by Agitation (without heat)

• This method is used for heat labile or volatile constituents.
• Sucrose and other ingredients are dissolved in purified water through agitation (Without heat). It
is better to dissolve solid ingredients in the water first then to add them to syrup. This esult in
easy mixing as sugar solution generally retard mixing.
• Example- sulphate syrup, guaifenesin syrup USP, Codeine Linctus

3. Addition of sucrose to a liquid medication or flavoured liquid

• Occasionally, a medicate liquid (tincture or fluid extract) is the source of medication in the
preparation of the syrup.
• Tinctures and fluid extracts contain alcohols soluble ingredients.
• Addition of tincture or extracts to syrup may cause precipitation of the alcohol soluble
components.
• If the alcoholic components are not desired or unnecessary for the corresponding syrup, they
are generally removed by mixing the tincture or extract with water, allowing the mixture to stand
until separation of the water insoluble agent is completed and filtering them from the mixture.
The filtrate then is the medicated liquid to which the sucrose is added in preparation of syrup.
• If the alcohol soluble components are required to be medicinal part of the syrup, some means of
rendering them water soluble is employed.
• if tinctures or extracts is miscible with the aqueous preparation, it may be added directly to
simple syrup to medicate it.
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4. Percolation
• In this procedure, purified water or an aqueous solution is permitted to pass slowly through a bed of
crystalline sucrose packed in a percolator, thus dissolving it and forming syrup.
• A piece of cotton is placed in the neck of the percolator to prevent the passage of un-dissolved sucrose.
• To be successful in this process:
→ The percolator should be cylindrical with a short conical base.
→ Coarse crystalline sucrose must be used to avoid formation of compact mass through which the
liquid can not pass.
→ The cotton must not be pressed too tight (slow flow) or too loose (fast flow).
→ Syrup USP is an example of Syrup prepared by percolation.

➢ Syrup can be preserved by

• Storage at low temperature not above 25°C.
• Adding a preservative such as glycerin, benzoic acid, sodium benzoate, methyl paraben or alcohol in the
formulation.
• By maintaining of a high concentration of sucrose as a part of the formulation.
➢ Packaging
• Syrup require safe, secure and tamper-proof handling while packaging.
• Syrups need to ensure complete protection from contamination and microbial growth.
• Steps in packing
Filling › Sealing › Capping › Coding & labelling › Wrapping
➢ Storage and labelling
• Should be store in cool & dry place.
• Should keep away from children.
• Protect from direct sunlight & moisture.
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