Unit-3 (Part-3)

Herbal Formulations
B. Pharm. 6th Sem.
 Herbal formulations
Herbs have been used in various dosage forms.
A large number of herbal formulations are present in
market, containing the herbs or their extracts with proven
medicinal activity.
With the advances of pharmaceutical technology, modern
dosage forms have evolved. Herbal formulation / dosage
forms can be widely classified into three categories viz:
1. Traditional Dosage Forms 2. Modern herbal dosage form 3. Novel dosage forms

1. Traditional Dosage Forms

These are derived from various traditional systems of medicines like Ayurveda,
Unani, Homeopathy, etc. Eg.: pills, tinctures, powders, pellets, semi fluid
extracts, , etc.
Note: Herbal formulations may contain a single herb or combination of
different plants.
2. Modern herbal dosage form

These formulations are developed from modern technological

processes. Modern herbal formulations offer small dosage size,
they are user friendly, convenient and have good absorption
characteristics. e.g.: tablets, syrups, solutions, capsules,
suppositories.

3. Novel dosage forms

With the advancement in different scientific techniques of
preparing formulations, novel dosage forms are being developed
to overcome the limitation of conventional dosage forms such
as tablets, syrups solution, etc.
Many novel dosage forms have been developed successfully
which have offered better acceptance by the health system. A
few novel dosage forms available in the market are transdermal
patch, Nano suspensions etc.
 HERBAL FORMULATIONS

Tablets

Mixtures Phytosomes

Creams
Liposomes
Novel Dosage Forms
Nanoparticles
Syrups
Microspheres etc.
Ointments
Herbal syrup
These are preparations formulated by incorporating sugar solution
with plants extracts such as infusions, decoctions, juices, fermented
products or simple solutions. Honey or unrefined sugar is used to
prepare syrups as they act as good preservatives.
Herbal syrups are made with equal proportions of herbal extracts
with honey or sugar solution of known concentration. Various
flavours like orange, raspberry, mentha can also be added to mask
the bitter taste as well as improve the palatability of the
formulation.

Syrups may also be made with tinctures instead Evaluation parameters

of infusions or decoctions. 500 g of honey or
unrefined sugar is combined with 250 ml of
water. It is gently heated until all the sugar or
honey has dissolved and the mixture has
thickened. It is removed from the heat. Once
cooled, one part of the tincture, or mixture of
tinctures is stirred, into three parts of the syrup
and stored at the temperature not exceeding
30°C.
Raspberry Syrup: Raspberry syrup is prepared from the fresh juice of ripened
raspberries and possesses a very pleasant taste that is enjoyed by children. It is
particularly useful for masking the taste of bromides, citrates and other drugs having
acidic taste.

Cherry Syrup: Cherry syrup is prepared from the juice of fresh ripe fruit. It is used for
antibiotics, cough preparations and sulfa-antibiotics.

Sarsaparilla Syrup: Sarsaparilla syrup is a suitable vehicle for iodides. Many

pharmacists have considered the syrup to be an inert vehicle. However, it has been
suggested that the saponin present in sarsaparilla may increase the absorption of
medicaments administered in preparations contain in sarsaparilla.

Glycyrrhiza Syrup: Glycyrrhiza syrup is an excellent masking agent for bitter

substances. It is not suitable for disguising the sour taste of acidic drugs as the
glycyrrhizin is decomposed by the acid with resulting precipitation.

ASAVA and Aristha: examples-Vasakasava, Ashokaristha

Herbal tablet
These are solid dosage forms of powdered herbs, herbal extracts or
their constituents prepared by moulding or compression.

In addition to the active ingredients, these contain diluents like

binding agents which provide strength to withstand normal
handling while transportation and storage, colouring agents to
improve the appearance, sweetening and flavouring agents to mask
the bitter taste, disintegrating agents to facilitate the breakdown
and absorption in the gastrointestinal tract are added.

Method of Preparation: The following steps Evaluation parameters

(a) Weighing the ingredients.
(b) Mixing the powdered ingredients and excipients.
(c) Converting the mixed ingredients into granules.
(d) Compression of granules into tablets.
(e) Coating of tablets.
(a) Weighing of ingredients: If crude drugs are used they must first be ground
into fine powder and passed through a no. 100 mesh sieve. The fine powder (or
other medicaments) and other ingredients must be weighed accurately using a
balance of good quality.

(b)Mixing: All the medicaments and excipients are mixed uniformly, to prepare a
homogeneous mass, so that uniform tablets can be manufactured. The mixing of
ingredients should be done in an ascending order of their weight. Converting the
mixed ingredients into granules. Granules offer the following advantages over fine
powder. Flow property: Granules flow evenly through the hopper of the tablet
machine. Hence, tablets of uniform weight can be prepared.

(c) Granulation:
Moist Granulation Method: This is the most widely used method. Here, the uniformly
mixed ingredients are moistened with a sufficient quantity of granulating agent to
make a coherent mass. Then, the mass is passed through a sieve no. 8 or 10. If the
mass sticks to the wire of the sieve it indicates over-moistening. The wet granules
are spread in trays and dried at 60°C in a hot air oven. The dried granules are passed
through sieve no. 20 to collect granules of uniform size.

Dry Granulation: The crystalline medicaments or granular medicaments are passed

through sieve no. 20 or any other specified sieve and then mixed with any additional
excipient.
(d) Compression of Granules into Tablets:

The dried granules obtained above are compressed into tablets by using a ‘tablet
making machine’. The various tablet making machines in use includes single punch
tablet machine, multi-punch tablet machine, rotary tablet machine. The single punch
tablet machine is used for small-scale preparation. It may be hand operated or
electrically operated.

(e) Coating of Tablets:

• To mask the unpleasant taste and odour,
• To improve the appearance of the tablet,
• To protect the medicament from atmospheric effects,
• To control the site of action of drugs and to produce sustained release of the
product.

Pan coating is done in a pan made up of copper or stainless steel. The pan is rotated
with the help of an electric device. At first, the tablets to be coated are placed in the
pan. Hot air is blown at a particular speed or the pan adjusted so that the tablets
remain separated from each other. After coating, polishing is done in a polishing pan.
The pan coating technique is used for sugar coating, film coating and enteric coating.
Herbal cream
These are viscous, semisolid preparation which may be oil in water type (aqueous)
creams or water in oil type (oily) creames.

Herbal mixture
These are the preparation containing combination of two or more herbal
ingredients which are formulated into various formulations like tablets,
capsules, ointments, creams, etc.
These mixtures or combinations of herbal ingredients may have more than
one activity and can be used to treat multiple ailments or they may produce
additive or synergistic effects for a single disease.
Some Ayurvedic Powdered Preparations as a herbal mixture:

1. Bhasmas:
Bhasmas are the powdered forms of a substance obtained by calcination. It is applied to
the metals, mineral and animal products which are prepared by special processes, in
closed crucibles in pits and with cow dung cakes (puta). Examples- Svarna bhasma,
tamra bhasma, etc.

2. Churna:

Churna is a fine powder made by certain drugs or combination of drugs. Each ingredient
is pulverized separately and mixed together. There are many varieties of Churnas and
every Churn has its own demand in the market. Churna, is the common drug of present
era and these medicines may be used without doctors’ prescription. The Ayurvedic
Churna is derived from vegetable sources from the various parts of the plant like root,
steam, leaf, flower, fruit extract or plant as a whole. Triphala churna, Trikatu churna,
Drakeshadi churna and Sudharsana churna are some of examples.
Novel dosage forms
a) Phytosomes
The concept of phytosomes is another breakthrough for the development
in herbal drug technology.
Phytosomes contain active herbal ingredients surrounded and bonded by
phospholipids.
They are produce by bonding phosphatidly choline with the ingredients
there by producing a complex.
The phospholipids structure has a water soluble choline head and fat
soluble body and tall (phosphatidly portion).

The choline head (water soluble) binds with the active compounds (herbal
ingredients), while the phosphatidly portion (fat soluble) comprising of body and
tall envelops the choline bound materials (*i.e.active ingredients) as a result
microspheres or vesicles are produced whereby the valuable components of the
herbs are protected.
Phytosomes enhance the absorption and improve the bioavailability of herbal
ingredients by enhancing their delivery to the tissue thereby lowering its close
and reducing the side effect. They also protect the active herbal ingredients
from destruction by the digestive juices and gut bacteria.
Several studies have shown that the body uses phytosome molecules more
effectively than that of non phytosomes molecules.

b)Liposomes
These are prepared by incorporating the active ingredients inside
the microscopic doubled layered membranes which are mode of
phospholipids (known as phospholipids vesicles).
These vesicles are suspended in a aqueous solvent uniformly. Drugs
incorporated in the liposomes can be delivered to the desired site
in desired concentrations.
This novel drug delivery system is especially targeted to liposomal
delivery of drugs in cancer chemotherapy, arthritis, haemophilia
and diseases of the immune system.
c) Nano particles

Herbal nano particles are colloidal system with particle size of about 1 to 1000 nm.
These are colloidal particles of the submicron size which act as carrier for drug
molecules.
These are used to target various sites in the treatment of cancer, disease of the
reticulo endothelial system and enzyme replacement therapy in liver.

d) Microspheres

These are small, solid particulate carriers containing the dispersed drug
particles either in solution or crystalline form.
Microsphere are used as carriers for drugs and therapeutic agents especially
in cancer treatment and hormonal disorders.
Method of
preperation