physical pharmacy- Elxirs

1. ELIXIRS
SAYAN KUNDU
DR.B.C. ROY COLLEGE OF PHARMACY AND ALLIED
HEALTH SCIENCES

2. “ Elixirs are clear, sweetened and flavored hydro
alcoholic liquid preparation intended for oral use.”
Defination

3. The main ingredients of elixirs are as follow
o Ethyl alcohol (5-40%)
o Water
o Glycerin or Propylene glycol
o Flavoring agents
o Colouring agents and
o Suitable preservative
Ingredients

4. • Medicated Elixirs
• Non medicated Elixirs
Types of Elixirs

5. Medicated elixirs are solution of active ingredients dissolved in
water and alcohol and an alcohol along with other other exipients
such as preservatives.
EXAMPLE
o Antihistaminic Elixirs: used against allergy: chlorampheniramine malate elixirs
(USP), diphenhydramine HCL elixirs.
o Sedative and hypnotic elixirs : sedatives induce drowsiness, and hypnotics induce
sleep: pediatric chloral hydrate elixirs.
o Expectorant: used to facilitate productive cough ( cough with sputum): terpin
hydrate elixirs.
o Miscellaneous: acetaminophen (paracetamol) elixirs, which are used as
analgesics.
o Medicated Elixirs

6. Non medicated elixirs are
• Simple, no therapeutic agents
• May only contain alcohol, sweetening agents,
colouring agents
• Self preserve
EXAMPLE
Aromatic elixirs
Isoalcoholic elixirs
o Non medicated elixirs

7. INGREDIENTS:
Generally elixirs contain following ingredients:
• Vehicles
About 10-20% of alcohol is used for keeping oils , vegetables
extracts, tannins etc in solution form. Glycerol and propylene
glycerol are used as solvent.
• Stabalizers
In neomycin elixirs, citric acid is used to adjust pH 4.0 – 5.0 to
minimize the darkening that occurs on storage. Disodium
edetate should be used to sequester heavy metals that
catalyse decomposition of the antibiotics.
Formulation of Elixirs

8. Sweetning agents and fruit flavours are used in many
medicinal preparation eg; black currant syrp in chloral Elixirs.
Compound orange spirits with gycerol in phenobarbital elixir.
• Preservatives
In elixirs, fermantation and mold growth are inhibited when
it contains more than 20% of alcohol, propylene glycol or
glycerol. The commonly used preservatives are double
strength chloroform, spirit, and benzoic acid and methyl
ester of P- hydroxy benzoic acid.
• Flavorings agents

9.  Dissolve the water soluble ingredients in part of water, add and dissolve the
sucrose in it.
 Dissolve the other ingredients in the alcohol. (concentration of alcohol
should be 5-40% to make clear solution)
 The aqueous solution is then added to the alcoholic solution with constant
stirring and make up the volume with the solvent or vehicle specified in the
formulation.
 Sucrose increase viscosity but decreases the solubility properties of water
and so must be added after primary solution has been carried out.
 A high alcoholic content is maintained during preparation by adding
aqueous phase to the alcoholic solution.
 Elixirs should be brilliantly clear and therefore strained or filtered, if
necessary, subjected to clarifying action of purified talc or siliceous earth.
Method of preparation

10. • Research concerning the preparation of a dry elixirs has
been conducted by kim and co_workers.
• Dry Elixirs containing a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drug and ethanol were encapsulated in a dextrin. The
dissolution rate constant of the drug from the
microcapsules usually increased considerably compared to
the drug alone, possibly due to the cosolvent ethanol.
• It is suggested that this type of dosage form may be useful
to improve.
Dry Elixers

11. • It should be dispensed in narrow, screw capped,
colorless plain bottle.
• Do not store above 40 degree centrigrde.
Storage

12. Advantages:
• Elixirs are more fluid than syrups.
• It often is desirable, it is more effective in masking such tastes.
• Elixirs are more readily prepared and manufactured then syrups.
• An elixirs may contain both water and alcohol soluble
ingredients.
Disadvantages:
• Alcohol is not good for children.
• Because they contain volatile materials, it must be stored in a
watertight screw-top jar and away from sources of ignition.
Advantages and Disadvantages

13. 1. Determination of alcohol concentration:
• Elixirs usually contain 5-40% alcohol.
• The determination of alcohol unless specified in the individual monograph.
• Cloudy distillates may be clarified by agitation with talc, or with calcium carbonate.
And filtration I done.
• For liquid it is presumed to contain less than 30%of alcohol.
2. Viscosity measurement:
• Viscosity is a property of liquids that is directly related to be resistance to flow.
• Viscosity and consistency directly relates with stability of solutions viscosity change of
stability.
• Viscosity measurement is very important quality test in case of syrups an elixirs.
Quality control tests for Elixirs

14. THANK YOU