The pharmaceutical industry is ever striving to satisfy patient’s therapeutical needs. Apart from active ingredients, pharmaceutical excipients have a major role in formulation development. The term “excipient” is derived from the Latin word excipere which means to except. Pharmaceutical excipients are everything other than the active pharmaceutical ingredients. Excipients are natural/ synthetic substances formulated alongside active ingredient of a medicine. These are included for bulking-up formulations which contain potent active ingredients.
Pharmaceutical Excipients are also useful in manufacturing process & aid in the handling of active substance concerned like by facilitating powder flow or non-stick properties while also aiding in vitro stability.
Pharmaceutical Excipients are also useful in manufacturing process & aid in the handling of active substance concerned like by facilitating powder flow or non-stick properties while also aiding in vitro stability.
Types of Excipients
- Antiadherents
- Binders
- Coatings
- Colours
- Lubricants
- Disintegrants
- Flavours
- Glidants
- Sorbents
- Preservatives
- Sweeteners
What Are Excipients Doing In Medicines?
Medicines are available in various dosage forms such as tablets, capsules, topical creams & gels, oral liquids, transdermal patches, implants, injectable products, inhalers & suppositories, eye products, and nasal products. Pharmaceutical excipients are the substances included in the pharmaceutical dosage not for their direct therapeutic action but to aid the manufacturing process as well as to protect and enhance stability. These are also helpful in bioavailability or patient acceptability. Thousands of excipients are widely used in almost 90% of medicines and make up products.
Some of the commonly used Excipients are:
Excipient
|
Use
|
Acacia Emulsifying Agent
|
Stabilizing Agent, Suspending Agent, Tablet
Binder, Viscosity-Increasing Agent
|
Alginic Acid
|
Tablet Binder, Tablet Disintegrant;
Viscosity-Increasing Agent
|
Alginate Binder
|
Stabilizing Agent, Suspending Agent
|
Aluminum Acetate
|
Antiseptic
|
Butyl Paraben
|
Antimicrobial Preservative
|
Benzyl Alcohol
|
Antimicrobial Preservative; Disinfectant;
Solvent
|
Citric Acid
|
Disintegrant
|
Candelilla Wax
|
Binder
|
Calcium Carbonate
|
Tablet and Capsule Diluent; Therapeutic Agent
|
Croscarmellose Sodium
|
Tablet and Capsule Disintegrant
|
Carnuba Wax
|
Binder
|
Plain or Anhydrous Calcium Phosphate
|
Diluent
|
Carboxymethylcellulose Calcium
|
Tablet and Capsule Disintegrant
|
Corn Starch
|
Binder Stabilizing Agent, Suspending Agent
|
