This document discusses various types of liquid dosage forms including pharmaceutical solutions, galenicals, decoctions, infusions, percolations, douches, enemas, gargles, washes, juices, sprays, sweeteners, honey, mucilage, jellies, and non-aqueous solutions. Pharmaceutical solutions are homogenous mixtures that can be aqueous or non-aqueous depending on the solubility of the drug. Various extraction and preparation methods are covered for obtaining active ingredients from plants into liquid forms. The uses and formulations of different oral and topical liquid medications are also outlined.

1. Liquid Dosage Forms
Dr. Basavaraj K. NanjwadeM. Pharm., Ph. D
Department of Pharmaceutics
Faculty of Pharmacy
Omer Al-Mukhtar University
Tobruk, Libya.
E-mail: nanjwadebk@gmail.com
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.

2. CONTENTS
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
1. Pharmaceutical solutions
(a) Classifications.
(b) Aqueous solutions (waters and preparation).
(c) Peppermint water.
(d) Solutions and their preparations.
2. Galenicals and their preparations.
3. Decoction, infusion, percolation solutions.
4. Douches and Enemas.
5. Gargles, Washes, Juices and Sprays.
6. Sweetener or other viscid solutions.
7. Honey, Mucilage and Jellies.
8. Non-aqueous solutions (colloids).
9. Elixirs, Glycerites, Liniments.
10. Oleo vitamins-Spirits and drops.

3. 1. Pharmaceutical solutions
• Pharmaceutical solutions are a homogenous one-
phase system.
• Pharmaceutical solutions are liquid dosage forms that
prepared by dissolving the active ingredients in an
aqueous or non-aqueous solvents.
• Consists of one or several soluble substances (solute)
dissolved in vehicle (solvent).
• The vehicle is defined as the liquid in which the
active ingredients are dissolved or suspended.
• Solvent: greater quantity (water), Solute: smaller quantity (sugar)
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4. (a) Classifications
1. Aqueous solutions: water is the most widely used
as a solvent.
2. Non-aqueous solutions: If the drugs insoluble
(griseofluvin) or unstable (e.g. methylpenicillin) in
aqueous systems, it is necessary to use alternative
systems such as oils, alcohols, liquid paraffin,
glycerol.
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5. (b) Aqueous solutions
(waters and preparation)
• Aqueous solutions are the most prevalent of the oral
solutions. Drugs are dissolved in water along with
any necessary flavorings, preservatives, or buffering
salts.
• Distilled or purified water should always be used
when preparing pharmaceutical solutions.
The following are examples of aqueous pharmaceutical solutions.
• Syrups e.g. Syrup USP, Wild Cherry Syrup USP.
• Aromatic waters e.g. Peppermint Water, USP.
• Mucilages e.g. Acacia Mucilage; Tragacanth Mucilage.
• Aqueous acids
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6. (c) Peppermint water
Formula (Ref. U.S.P. XVII)
Peppermint oil -------------02 ml
Purified water to add -----1000 ml
• Method of preparation: It is prepared by dissolving
2 ml of peppermint oil in purified water by occasional
shaking for twelve hours or overnight. It is then
filtered.
• Use: As a flavoring agent and carminative
• Dose: 15 to 30 ml
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7. (d) Solutions and their
preparations
• Definition: When two or more liquid substances are
mixed together chemically and physically, a
homogeneous mixture is obtained. This mixture or the
product is termed as solution.
• Sometimes, alcohol or glycerine is added as a
preservative or to facilitate in getting a clear solution
• It is presumed that the particles of the substances go to
the their molecular dimensions. Depending upon the
size of the dispersed particles, the product is termed as
either true solution, colloidal solution or suspension.
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8. (d) Solutions and their
preparations
1. Coal Tar Solution
2. Cresol with Soap Solution
3. Formaldehyde Solution
4. Hydrogen Peroxide Solution
5. Aqueous Iodine Solution
6. Weak Iodine Solutions
7. Strong Ammonium Acetate Solution
8. Surgical Chlorinated Soda Solution
9. Chloroxylenol Solution
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9. 2. Galenicals and their
preparations
• Medicines prepared according to the formulae of Galen.
• A medicinal preparation composed mainly of herbal or
vegetable matter.
• It is prepared by extraction of crude vegetable drugs
(active principles) with suitable solvents.
• The term is now used to denote standard preparations
containing one or more active constituents of a plant and
made by a process that leaves the inert and other
undesirable constituents of the plant un-dissolved.
• E.g. Infusions, Decoctions, Fluid extracts, Semisolid
extracts, Dry extracts, Tinctures, Medical oils.
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10. Decoction solutions
• In this process, the drug is boiled with water for a
stated period usually 10 minutes. After boiling, the
liquid is strained and water is passed through the
content of the strainer to make the required volume.
• This process is mainly used for vegetable drugs of
hard and woody nature having thermo stable water
soluble constituents.
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11. Infusion solutions
• It consists of pouring water over the drugs and then
allowing it to keep in contact with water for the stated
period, usually 15 minutes, with occasional stirring
and finally filtering off the liquid.
• The marc is not pressed. The boiling water is
commonly used as a solvent, since it has a greater
solvent action than cold water.
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12. Percolation solutions
• This method uses a percolator (coffee maker).
• The powdered material is packed in the percolator.
• Enough solvent is then poured to soak the powder.
• Then more solvent is poured and allowed to percolate
through the material.
• The extract is collected in a receiver.
• The process is continued until extraction is complete.
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13. Douches
• A douche is a medicated solution meant for rinsing a
body cavities, such as eyes, ear or nasal cavities for
cleaning or removing the foreign particles or
discharges from them.
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14. Enemas
• Enemas are aqueous or oily solutions, as well as
emulsions and suspensions, are available for the
rectal administration of medicaments for cleansing,
diagnostic or therapeutic reasons.
• A variety of drug are formulated as enemas and are
used to treatment conditions such as constipation or
ulcerative colitis.
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15. • Gargles are aqueous solutions used to prevent or treat
throat infections.
• They are usually available in concentrated form with
direction for dilution with warm water before use.
• They are brought into intimate contact with the mucous
membrane of the throat and are allowed to remain in
contact with it for a few seconds, before they are thrown
out of the mouth.
• They are used to relieve soreness in mild throat infection.
• It also stimulates secretion of saliva which relieves
dryness.
• Example:- Potassium Chloride and Phenol gargle
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Gargles

16. Washes (Mouth Washes)
• These are aqueous solutions with a pleasant taste and
odour used to make clean and deodorise the buccal
activity.
• These are similar to gargles but are used specifically
to treat conditions of the mouth.
• Generally they contain antibacterial agents, alcohol,
glycerin, sweetening agents, flavouring agents and
colouring agents.
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17. Juices
• Juices are the liquid preparation containing
medicament meant for oral cavity.
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18. Sprays
• Sprays are preparations of drugs in which may be
aqueous, alcoholic or glycerin.
• They are supplied to the mucous membrane of nose
or throat with an atomizer.
• The throat-sprays must be sprayed from a special type
of atomizer known as nebulizer., which removes large
droplets by a baffling system.
• Only fine droplets are required so that they may reach
the lungs.
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19. 6. Sweetener or other
viscid solutions
• Sweetener can be sugar or non-sugar based, and is
used to improve the taste and sometimes the feel of a
liquid or chewable solid dosage form.
• To change the flavor, or mouth feel of a liquid.
• To improve the flavor of a chewable solid.
• Sugar based: Sucrose.
• Non-sugar based: Aspartame, Maltose, Sorbitol,
Sucralose.
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20. Honey
• Honey’s are thick liquid preparations somewhat allied
to the syrups, differing in that honey, instead of
syrup, is used as a base.
• Viscid solution: simple syrup.
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21. Mucilage
• The mucilage is a thick, viscid, adhesive liquids,
produced by dispersing gum in water or by extracting
the mucilaginous principles from vegetable
substances with water.
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22. Jellies
• Jellies are transparent or translucent, non-greasy,
semi-solid preparations mainly used for external
application to the skin.
• These are also used for lubricating catheters, surgical
gloves and rectal thermometers.
• The substances like gelatin, starch, tragacanth,
sodium alginate and cellulose derivative are used in
the preparation of jellies.
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23. 8. Non-aqueous solutions
(colloids)
• Non-aqueous colloidal dispersions are of high
importance to a wide range of industries.
• Oil based colloidal dispersions offer unique
challenges in formulation and managing the stability
of a colloidal dispersion in a non-polar environment
requires different strategies to those employed for
aqueous analogues.
• Successful formulation allows us access to a range of
unique properties such as solubility, polarity,
viscosity and density.
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24. Elixirs
• The terms mixture and elixir are often confused
although an elixir refers strictly to a solution of a
potent or nauseous drug.
• If the active agent is sensitive to moisture it may be
formulated as a falvoured powder or granulation by
the pharmaceutical industry and then simply
dissolved in water immediately prior to
administration.
• Dosage is usually given using a 5 ml medicine spoon
although smaller volumes can be given using a
volumetric dropper.
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25. Glycerites
• Glycerites are preparations that uses glycerin to
extract the constituents from an herb.
• Glycerin is both a solvent and a preservative and
good for preparing children’s remedies because of its
sweet taste and lack of alcohol.
• Such preparations can be stirred into juice.
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26. Liniments
• Liniments are liquid and semi-liquid preparations meant for
application to the skin.
• Liniments are usually applied to the skin with friction and
rubbing of the skin.
• The liniments may be alcoholic or oily solutions or emulsion.
• Alcohol helps in the penetration of medicaments into the skin
and also increase its counter-irritant or rubefacient action.
• Arachis oil is used in some liniments which spread more easily
on the skin.
• Soap is also included as ingredients in some the liniments
which helps in easy application of liniment on the skin.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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27. Oleo-vitamins
• These are fish-liver oils diluted with edible vegetable
oil or solutions of the indicated vitamins or vitamin
concentrates (usually Vitamin A and Vitamin D) in
fish-liver oil.
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28. Spirits
• Spirits are alcoholic or hydroalcoholic solutions of
volatile substances and contain 50% to 90% of alcohol.
• The high alcoholic contents maintain water-insoluble oils
in solution. If water is added to a spirit the oil acts
separated.
• Some spirits are used as flavouring agents e.g. compound
orange spirit, cardamum spirits etc. and some spirits are
used as medicinal agents e.g. aromatic ammonia spirit.
• Spirits are prepared by dissolving the volatile substances
in ethanol 90 % except aromatic spirit, prepared by
distillation method.
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University, Tobruk, Libya.
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29. Drops
• Ear Drops: These are simple solutions of drugs in
either water, glycerol, propylene glycol or
alcohol/water mixtures for local use and include
antibiotics, antiseptics, cleansing solutions and wax
softeners.
• Nasal Drops: Nasal drops should also be made
isotonic with nasal secretions using sodium chloride
and viscosity can also be modified using cellulose
derivatives if necessary.
• Eye Drops: Eye drops are saline-containing drops
used as an ocular route to administer.
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Tobruk, Libya.
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30. THANK YOUE-mail: nanjwadebk@gmail.com
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.