aDepartment of Pharmaceutics, The Oxford College of Pharmacy, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
bDepartment of Pharmacognosy, The Oxford College of Pharmacy, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
cDepartment of Pharmacology, The Oxford College of Pharmacy, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
One of the most common and superior unique dosage forms and oral candy products are lozenges. Since the 20th century, lozenges have been employed and are now manufactured economically. As an innovative method to administer medicines with both systemic and local reactions in the oral cavity, lozenges have a bright future. The lozenges are meant to be sucked and held in the mouth or pharynx. These include solid medicated, flavored, and sweetened base dose forms. The therapeutic lozenges offer the bonus of extending the dosage form's period of retention in the oral cavity, which improves bioavailability, reduces discomfort in the stomach, and reduces first-pass metabolism. The alteration eliminates the first pass metabolism and reduces stomach pain. These reviews offer examples of multiple herbal and synthetic lozenges collectively with their confirmed information and a lot encouraged products. This review include introduction, advantages, disadvantages, types and marketed products of the study.
The French term "losenge," which refers to a diamond-shaped geometric with four equal sides, is from where the name "losenge" comes. Developed in the pharmaceutical industry throughout the 20th century, pastilles and lozenges are currently produced for retail sales. Lozenges are combinations containing solid substances that are intended to dissolve in the mouth or throat. They can be used to treat systemic drug absorption, swallowing difficulties, throat infections, and local pain. They might include one or more drugs in the form of flavoring and sweetener. They can deliver medications in a variety of ways to the oral cavity's mucosal surface. When taken orally, lozenges are a more inventive and efficient dosage form. Lozenges were commonly used in the past for managing moderate sore throat irritation and pain, as well as for applying topical anesthetics and antibacterial drugs. Lozenges nowadays comprise several different pharmaceutical categories, which include painkillers, anesthesia drugs, antimicrobial agents, antibiotics, antitussives, demulcents, astringent substances, medications for congestion, and other pharmacologic forms of combinations.(1) Its sweet, sugary elements are used to cure throat infections and mouth discomfort. It can also be used to help medications absorb more efficiently. Lozenges provide a systemic effect if the medication is swallowed or absorbed through the buccal linings. Lozenges are placed in the oral cavity. Due to their size, buccal lozenges are intended to be inserted and are well-formed frequently used because of the tongue's lower extremities which may get irritated. Patients who are unable to take solid oral forms of medications or pharmaceuticals drugs which are prescribed by lozenges released gradually to create a steady dosage of the medication in the mouth or to gradually take care of the tissue in the throat with a medication solution. These are the medications that are typically found in lozenges. Since the lozenge can also be used to administer various other drugs. Depending on the requirements of an individual patients. As over-the-counter (OTC) medications, a range of lozenges are accessible without a prescription. While some drugs are given by a doctor, others need a prescription. A lozenge is a solid dose form that normally includes a flavoring ingredient in addition to a pharmaceutical medication. Lozenges, additionally known as torch or pastilles, are designed to melt slightly in the mouth or pharynx resulting in an effect that can be localized or systemic. (2) Cough drops, also known as troche, cachou, or cough sweets which are little, therapeutic drugs that are meant to dissolve gradually in the mouth in order to immediately stop coughing soothe and lubricate the tissues that are infected of the throat infections (sore throat) through the flu or the cold.(3)
FORMULAS FOR LOZENGES
The goal of the lozenges is provide a more feasible way for administration and to formulate into a stable dose form of various medications.
Lozenge formulation requirements include
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
TYPES OF LOZENGES
Hard lozenges
A combination of sugar and other calories in a cloudy or opaque state brings up hard candy lozenges. Hard lozenges generally have a moisture level of 0.5 to 1.5%. They should not break down, have a smooth surface texture, a pleasant flavor which hides the taste of the medical treatment, and a slow, uniform melting or erosion over 5 to 10 minutes. Lozenges of hard candy usually have an approximate weight of 1.5 to 4.5 grams. Graining tendencies decrease whenever corn syrup solids are added in quantities above 50%, which enhances product stickiness and interactions with medicines. Graining tendencies and crystallization frequency tend to increase when using more than 70% sucrose solids. A figure 1 represents hard lozenges (9)
Method of preparation of hard lozenges
Soft lozenges
The minimal effort by which soft lozenges may be rapidly made and used on an array of medicines has resulted in their growing popularity. Usually, a blend of a number of polyethylene glycols as well as acacia materials serve as the basis. They have similarity to a previous era of medicines that are currently undergoing a renaissance: candy, which are soft, richly sugared masses containing medicinal components, are recognized as so. Lozenges comprised of polyethylene glycol might turn softer in extreme temperatures. It's best maintained in an area that is cool and dry. An example of soft lozenges is mentioned in figure 2.
Method of preparation of soft lozenges
There have been soft, chewable candies available for some time now. They have a strong taste and often possess a mildly bitter feel. The gelatin base preparation, which is explained below, is the most complicated step. These are an excellent method to give medicines for systemic consumption and gastrointestinal absorption, as they are specifically suited for pediatric patients. A figure 3 represents chewable lozenges as mentioned below. (10)
Figure 3
Method of preparation of chewable lozenges
SYNTHETIC LOZENGES :
Numerous modern technologies have been produced to enhance the typical lozenge forms. In these developments include the implementation of new ingredients and manufacturing procedures to improve flavor, decrease caloric content, expedite manufacture, and improve drug release properties. The pharmaceutical lozenges have a benefit of prolonging the dosage form's duration of retention in the oral cavity, which enhances bioavailability, minimizes gastrointestinal discomfort, and reduces first-pass metabolism. Lozenges are increasing prominence because of their capability to maintain a mucosal layer of the nostrils moist, improve the swallowing reflex, and prolong the duration in time when the medicine is effective. Lozenges have two main effects: a localized one which arises at a specific location inside the salivary glands, and a broader one that occurs once, the medicine reaches the bloodstream and begins functioning chemically. Numerous multivitamin lozenges, vitamin C and D lozenges, and nicotine-containing lozenges for giving up smoking contain B-complex. More recently, it has been demonstrated that lozenges with one or more components can be produced exclusively for patients who are chronically ill, resulting in a patient-friendly dose form. (11)
Method of preparation medicated lozenges
Table 1- lists of synthetic marketed products
HERBAL LOZENGES :
A herb is any kind of plant or section of a plant that is used for its flavor, aroma, or medicinal benefits. Herbal supplements are one category of dietary supplements. They can be found in solid form as fresh or dried plants, tablets, capsules, powders, teas, and extracts. It will also boost health. (23)
Herbal Preparation:
Herbs can be taken in a variety of ways, but the most popular ones are liquids that are consumed as herbal teas or plant extracts which may be diluted. Though they might be developed in a few different ways, herbal teas, also known as tisanes, are the liquid that is left behind after extracting herbs into water.
CONCLUSION
Lozenges constitute a popular and effective dose form which delivers both local and systemic effects in the oral cavity. Since the 20th century, it's cheap manufacturing process has ensured their expansive availability. They provide a novel method to administer health care: they are held and sucked in the mouth or pharynx. Their solid bases that can be flavored, sweetened, and medicated make them suitable to a broad spectrum of uses. The further away benefit associated with therapeutic lozenges is its continued absorption in the oral cavity, that increases bioavailability and decreases inflammation and first-pass metabolism in the GI tract. This modification in the method in which the medication is given has a beneficial effect on patient comfort and medicine performance. Examples of both synthetic and herbal lozenges are provided in the review, complete with details on their various advantages for health, quality control methods, and selection criteria of flavoring agents. When everything is taken into account, the comprehensive examination of lozenges shows they possess the potential to serve as a preferred dosage form for a variety of medicines, including characteristics such reduced side effects, greater bioavailability, and easy access of administration.
REFERENCES
Binu A., Irene T., Beena P., Eleesey A., Formulation and Evaluation of Herbal Lozenges Containing Eucalyptus Oil and Coleus Aromaticus Oil, American Journal of Pharmatech Research, 2018, 8(1), 2249-3387.
Swetha Yoganandan , Gururaj S. Kulkarnia , Padmaa M. Paarakh , Surinder Kaur , A. Muthukumar, Comparative Analysis Of Herbal And Non Herbal Lozenges, Int. J. of Pharm. Sci., 2024, Vol 2, Issue 9, 645-655. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13755033