Substances that have little or no therapeutic value, but essentially used in the preparation of various pharmaceutical dosage form are called Pharmaceutical aids. Source: Animals, Plants, minerals, synthetic. They are not API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient). Acidulants: It give sharp taste to food. Assist in the setting of gel and as a preservative. Eg- Tamarind, lemon juice, tomato. Colouring agents: Caramel, turmeric, indigo, saffron. Disintegrating agent: Starch, CMC. Diluent: Cinnamon water, peppermint water, sesame oil. Emulsifying agents: Acacia, Agar, Bentonite, Gelatin Suspending agents: Acacia, Agar, Bentonite, Gelatin Filter aid: Talc, Bentonite, Diatomite. Flavoring agent: Cardamom, rose, lemon. Lubricant: Talc, Cocoa

1. PHARMACEUTICAL AIDS
Prepared By:
Ms. Pranita Sunar
Asst. Professor
Deptt. of Pharmacognosy
Mata Gujri College of Pharmacy
Kishanganj, Bihar

2. Definition:
Substances that have little or no therapeutic
value, but essentially used in the preparation of
various pharmaceutical dosage form are called
Pharmaceutical aids.
• Source: Animals, Plants, minerals, synthetic.
• They are not API (Active Pharmaceutical
Ingredient).

3. EXAMPLES OF PHARMACEUTICAL AIDS.
1. Acidulants: It give sharp taste to food. Assist in the setting of
gel and as a preservative. Eg- Tamarind, lemon juice, tomato.
2. Colouring agents: Caramel, turmeric, indigo, saffron.
3. Disintegrating agent: Starch, CMC.
4. Diluent: Cinnamon water, peppermint water, sesame oil.
5. Emulsifying agents: Acacia, Agar, Bentonite, Gelatin
6. Suspending agents: Acacia, Agar, Bentonite, Gelatin
7. Filter aid: Talc, Bentonite, Diatomite.
8. Flavoring agent: Cardamom, rose, lemon.
9. Lubricant: Talc, Cocoa butter
10. Sweetening agent: Honey, Saccharin, Glycyrrhiza.
11. Thickening agent: Pectin, Tragacanth, Methyl cellulose.

4. 1. KAOLIN
Synonyms: China clay, Kaolinum proderesum, porcelain clay.
Source: It is purified native hydrated aluminium silicate free from
gritty particles. It is obtained by powdering the native kaolin
elutriating and collecting the fraction, which complies with
the requirement of particle size.
The different types of Kaolin are as follows:
1. Heavy Kaolin: It is purified hydrated aluminium silicate
powdered so as to make free from gritty particles by
elutriation.
2. Light Kaolin: It is identical to heavy kaolin, but is limited to
certain particle size and contains suitable dispersing agent.
3. Natural light Kaolin: it is also a native hydrated aluminium
silicate free from gritty particles, but devoid of dispersing
agent.

5. Chemical constituents:
Kaolin is anhydrous aluminium silicate with a chemical
formula Al2O22SiO22H2O.
The composition are as follow:
Silicon dioxide, Iron oxide, titanium dioxide aluminium
oxide etc.
Uses:
• It is treatment for enteritis.
• Dysentery and food poisoning.
• Used as dusting powder.
• Used in pharmaceutical preparation.

6. 2. LANOLIN
Synonyms: Hydrous wool fat.
Source: It is a purified fat like substance obtained from the wool of
the sheep Ovies aries belonging to Family Bovidae.
Chemical Constituents:
It contains esters of Cholesterol, isocholesterol with carnaubic,
palmitic, myristic, oleic, lanoceric and lanopalmitic acids.
Uses:
• Water absorbable ointment base.
• Emollient.
• It used as a common ingredient and base for water soluble creams
and cosmetics.

7. 3. BEES WAX
Synonyms: Beeswax, Cera-flava.
Biological Source: It is purified wax obtained by melting the
walls of the honey comb of the bees Apis mellifera and other
species of Apis, belonging to Family Apidae.
Chemical constituents:
• It contains esters of straight chain monohydric alcohols with
straight chain acids.
• The chief constituents is Myrcin.
• It also contains free cerotic acid, melissic acid and cerolein.

8. Uses:
• Used in preparation of ointments, plasters, and
polishes.
• Used in the manufacturing of candles, moulds and in
dental and electronic industries.
• Also used in cosmetics for preparation of lip-sticks
and face creams.
• Pharmaceutically, it is an ingredient of Paraffin
ointment IP.

9. 4. ACACIA
Synonyms: Gum acacia, Gum arabica,
Indian gum.
Biological Source: It is the dried gummy
exudates obtained from the stem and branches of Acacia arabica
belonging to Family Leguminosae.
Chemical Constituents:
• Arabin, which is a complex mixture of calcium, magnesium
and potassium salts of Arabic acid.
• Arabic acid on hydrolysis gives L-arabinose, L-rhamnose, D-
galactose, and D-glucoronic acid.
• Also contains enzyme oxidase and peroxidase.

10. Uses:
• Demulcent.
• Used as suspending agent, emulsifying agent, binding agent.
• Used in preparation of lozenges and compressed tablets.
• It is also administered intravenously in hemolysis.

11. 5. TRAGACANTH
Synonyms: Gum tragacanth,
Tragacanth.
Biological Source: It is dried gummy exudates obtained by
incision from stems and branches of Astragalus gummifer
belonging to Family Leguminosae.
Chemical Constituents:
It contains two fractions:
a. Water soluble portion called Tragacanthin.
b. Water insoluble portion called Bassorin.
It also contains methoxy group which swells in water.

12. Uses:
• Demulcent, adhesive.
• Emollient.
• Used as thickening, suspending and emulsifying
agent.
• Used binding agent in tablets & excipients in pills.
• Used in spermicidal jellies and as a stabiliser for ice-
cream.

13. • 6. AGAR
• Synonyms: agar-agar, japanese-isinglass, vegetable gelatin.
• Biological Source: It is the dried gelatinous substance
obtained from Gelidium amansii belonging to Family
Gelidaceae.
Chemical Constituents:
• Agar consists of two different polysaccharides named as
agarose and agaropectin.
• Agarose is responsible for gel strength of agar and agaropectin
is responsible for viscosity of agar solution.
Uses:
• Used as emulsifying agent, bulk laxative.
• Used in preparation of jellies, confectionery items and in
microbiology, it is employed in preparation of bacteriological
cultural medium.

14. 7. GUAR GUM
Synonyms: Guar flour, Jaguar gum.
Biological Source: It is the powder of
endosperm of the seeds of Cyamopsis tetragonolobus belonging
to Family Leguminosae.
Chemical Constituents:
• Carbohydrate.
• Gum- Guaran, the water soluble portion of the gum and yields
on hydrolysis galactose 35% and mannose 60-65%.
• Small quantity of protein.

15. Uses:
• It reduces blood glucose concentration in diabetic
patients and serum concentration in hyper lipidaemia.
• Used as binding agent and disintegrating agent in
tablet formulations.
• bulk laxatives and as appetite depressant.

16. 8. GELATIN
Synonyms: Gelatina, Gel foam, Puragel.
Biological Source: It is a protein extracted by partial hydrolysis
of animal collagenous tissue like skins, tendons, ligaments and
bones with boiling water.
Chemical Constituents:
It contains different amino acids out of which major is Lysine, an
essential amino acids. Gelatin is composed of Gluten protein.
Uses:
• Gelatin is used as a valuable dietary supplement.
• It is used as the preparation of candies, jellies, meat extracts,
and as a thickener in jams etc.
• It is used as an antidote for halogen poisoning.

17. SODIUM ALGINATE
Synonyms: alginate, Sodiumpolymannuronate.
Biological Source: It is the Sodium salt of alginic acid obtained
from the algal species of
• Macrocystic pyrifera
• Laminaria Hyperborea
• Ascophyllum nodosum,
Belonging to Family Phaeophyceae.
Chemical Constituents:
Carbohydrate, sodium salt of alginic acid.
Uses:
Preparation of pastes, creams, emulsions, suspensions, jellies,
ice-creams.
And also used in textile industry.