Plant-Based Medicines Challenges

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary reason manufacturers are shifting to single chemical entities from plant extracts?

To simplify the extraction process

To eliminate or reduce the possibility of degradation (correct)

To increase the volume of product produced

To enhance the color and appeal of the product

What issue is commonly associated with the supply of raw materials for herbal remedies?

Overregulation by health authorities

Decreased demand from consumers

Increased cost due to rare ingredients

Wide-scale variations in composition (correct)

Why are liquid formulations like syrups losing favor in the production of herbal medicines?

They are more complex to manufacture

They require more active ingredients

They lack stability during storage (correct)

They have better patient acceptability

What is a commonly added excipient to improve the physical characteristics of solid dosage forms?

Microcrystalline cellulose Signup and view all the answers

What form of dosage does approximately 75% of European herbal medicines consist of?

Dry extracts Signup and view all the answers

What problem can occur due to adulteration in herbal remedies?

Decreased therapeutic effectiveness Signup and view all the answers

Which material has been found to be used as an adulterant in bilberry extracts?

Amaranth food dye Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant drawback of using crude drug material in herbal medicines?

Variability in composition Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant problem associated with the formulation of plant-based medicines?

Inclusion of pharmacologically inactive compounds Signup and view all the answers

Why is it ideal to include only one plant extract in a formulation?

To avoid interactions that can cause instability Signup and view all the answers

What can lead to the degradation of glycosides in plant extracts?

Formulating into aqueous media after extraction Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is considered essential for achieving the best quality of plant-based medicinal products?

Standardized extracts Signup and view all the answers

What is a notable challenge in the production of plant-based medicines?

Complete knowledge of the extract's composition Signup and view all the answers

What issue can arise from drying plant material in the extraction process?

Reactivation of endogenous enzymes in water Signup and view all the answers

What common issue occurs with emulsions containing saponins from plant extracts?

Formation of phase separation Signup and view all the answers

What is a risk to the quality of constituents during the manufacturing of plant extracts?

Maintaining low-quality water Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Active Constituent Purity

Plant-based medicines face significant technological and stability challenges compared to single chemicals.
Plant extracts often contain inactive or differently-acting constituents.
It's often impractical to remove these during initial production due to costs, knowledge limitations, and technical limitations.
Complete composition knowledge is crucial for selecting appropriate excipients and formulations with plant extracts.
Ideally, only one extract per formulation, but multiple extracts are common, potentially causing instability.

Stability Issues

Converting plant materials to medicines presents numerous hurdles (listed in Table 48.3).
Standardized extracts help include more active constituents.
Many constituents are unstable in acidic/basic aqueous environments.
Turbidity in reconstituted solutions is a common problem sometimes solved with polyvinylpyrrolidone.
Saponin-containing extracts can exhibit phase separation.
Drying inactivates enzymes, but this can lead to problems if glycosides are present (reactivation in aqueous media leads to degradation).
Heating during manufacturing and water quality significantly impact the stability of constituents.
pH greatly affects stability, with both acidic and basic conditions being detrimental.

Single Chemical Entities

Manufacturers increasingly use single chemical entities extracted from plants.
This reduces degradation risks.
Example: purified sennoside B in place of total sennoside extracts in Senokot.

Variability of Crude Drugs

Raw material supply is a major concern, characterized by significant composition variations.
Variations exist even within batches from the same supplier.
Adulteration (intentional or unintentional) is a long-standing problem.
Traditional quality tests exist for adulteration detection.
Sophisticated adulteration methods exist with modern herbal remedies (e.g., adding food dyes).
Example: bilberry extract adulteration with amaranth food dye.

Finished Product Considerations

Common formulations for plant extracts mirror conventional pharmaceutical formulations.
Most conventional dosage forms can be produced from plant extracts.
Solid dosage forms are preferred over liquid ones (syrups) due to patient acceptance and storage stability.
Controlled-release solid dosage forms are possible.

Preparation of Solid Dosage Forms

Approximately 75% of European herbal medicines are dry extracts.
Typically, dry extracts are hygroscopic.
High-porosity excipients (e.g., microcrystalline cellulose) and cellulose derivatives are added for improved tablet properties (hardness, friability, disintegration).

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Description

Explore the technological and stability challenges faced by plant-based medicines in this quiz. Learn about the importance of active constituents, composition knowledge, and formulation techniques necessary for effective medicinal products. Test your understanding of the hurdles in converting plant materials to stable medicines.