This document discusses drugs used as digestants and carminatives. Digestants are substances that promote digestion by containing enzymes like pepsin, papain, pancreatin, and diastase. They are occasionally beneficial for people with deficient enzyme production, but their routine use is irrational. Carminatives are agents that promote the expulsion of gases from the gastrointestinal tract and provide a feeling of warmth. Common carminatives include sodium bicarbonate, peppermint oil, cardamom oil, dill oil, and ginger tincture. These drugs are used to treat dyspepsia, discomfort in the upper abdomen, gas formation, and feelings of fullness or burning.

1. Drugs as Digestants and
Carminatives.
Miss Snehal S. Chakorkar (M.pharm)
Dept Of Pharmacology
1

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Introduction:
Digestants
Definition: “These are substances intended to
promote digestion of food.”
A number of proteolytic, amylolytic and lipolytic enzymes
are marketed in combination formulations and are
vigorously promoted for dyspeptic symptoms, and as
appetite stimulants or health tonics.
They are occasionally beneficial, only when their
elaboration in g.i.t. is deficient.

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Their routine use in tonics and appetite improving mixtures is
irrational.
1. Pepsin May be used along with HCl in gastric achylia due to
atrophic gastritis, gastric carcinoma, pernicious anaemia, etc.
2. Papain It is a proteolytic enzyme obtained from raw papaya. Its
efficacy after oral ingestion is not known.
3. Pancreatin It is a mixture of pancreatic enzymes obtained from
hog and pig pancreas. It contains amylase, trypsin and lipase, and is
indicated in chronic pancreatitis or other exocrine pancreatic
deficiency states.

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Fat and nitrogen content of stools may be reduced and
diarrhoea/ steatorrhoea may be prevented.
It has to be used as enteric coated tablets or capsules to protect
the enzymes from being themselves digested in stomach by
pepsin. Nausea, diarrhoea and hyperuricaemia are the
occasional side effects.
4. Diastase and Takadiastase These are amylolytic enzymes
obtained from the fungus Aspergillus oryzae. They have been
used in pancreatic insufficiency, but efficacy is equivocal.

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Brand name Preparation Dosage
form
ARISTOZYME Fungal diastase 50 mg, pepsin 10
mg,
simethicone 50 mg
Capsule,
Liquid
DIGEPLEX: Diastase 62.5 mg, pepsin 20 mg Tablet
ENTOZYME Fungal diastase 50 mg, pepsin 10
mg
Syrup
LUPIZYME Pepsin 125 mg, fungal diastase
18.75 mg,
thiamine 2 mg, riboflavine 1 mg,
pyridoxine 1.5 mg, vit B12
1 μg, nicotinamide 15 mg
Capsule/
Syrup
PANZYNORM Pancreatine 100 mg, bile ext. 40
mg
Tablet
UNIENZYME Fungal diastase 20 mg, papain 30
mg,
simethicone 50 mg, nicotinamide
25 mg, activated charcoal
75 mg
Tablet

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Methyl polysiloxane (Dimethyl polysiloxane, Simethicone,
Dimethicone)
It is a silicone polymer, a viscous amphiphilic liquid—reduces
surface tension and collapses froth, ‘antifoaming agent’.
It is not absorbed from g.i.t. and is pharmacologically inert.
Added to antacid, digestant and antireflux preparations, it is
briskly promoted as a remedy for ‘gas’, a very common gastric
complaint.
It is also claimed to coat and protect ulcer surface, to aid
dispersion of antacids in gastric contents, and to prevent
gastroesophageal reflux. However clinical efficacy is equivocal.

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carminatives.
Definition: “These are the agents which Promotes expulsion
of gases from the Gastro intestinal tract and give a feeling of
warmth and comfort in the epigastrium”
Various drugs used for the purpose are Sod. bicarb, Oil
peppermint, inc. Cardamom Co., oil of dil, Tincture ginger.
Uses of Digestants and carminative;
•Dyspepsia
•Discomfort in the upper abdomen
•Gas formation
•Feeling of fullness
•Burning sensation

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Reference:
Rang H.P. and Dale M.M.: Pharmacology, Churchill
Livingstone, Edinbergh.
Katzung B.G.: Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, Lange
Medical Publications, California.
Craig C.R. and Stitzel R.E.: Modern Pharmacology, Little
Brown and Co., Boston.
Bowman W.C. and Rand M.J.: Textbook of Pharmacology,
Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.
P.N Bennett & M J Brown: Clinical Pharmacology,
Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh.
Tripathi K.D.: Essentials of Medical Pharmacology, Jaypee
Brothers, Medical Publishers, New Delhi.

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