When it comes to taking medication, palatability matters in every age group. That is why the taste of drugs plays a significant role in patient adherence and overall treatment success.
Pharmaceutical synthetic flavoring agents make this part of the process quite easy.
Most pharmaceutical companies often combine drugs’ preservatives and various flavoring agents to make the final formulation far more pleasing to the taste. In this blog, we will explore five essential pharmaceutical flavoring agents that are used to enhance the taste and acceptance of the formulations.
Role of pharmaceutical flavoring agents
Before we begin with the examples, let us understand the exact role of flavoring agents in the pharmaceutical industry. These flavors play a pivotal role in enhancing the taste of medications. Many medicines, particularly those intended for children and the elderly, frequently have unpalatable flavors or odors that can result in treatment discontinuation. You might have noticed some patients are advised to take high-power dosages that usually contain unpleasant odors.
When medicines have a more pleasant taste, patients are more inclined to follow the recommended dosage regimen, ultimately resulting in improved treatment results. This is particularly crucial for pediatric patients, who may exhibit heightened sensitivity to the taste of medications.
Moreover, flavored formulations can help alleviate resistance and anxiety associated with medication.
These agents prove to be advantageous for individuals managing chronic conditions and dealing with prolonged drug treatments. This simplifies the physician's task and makes it more manageable for patients' caregivers to handle the situation.
However, pharmaceutical companies need to adhere to specific guidelines published by the FDA. Let us delve into the prominent category i.e. synthetic pharmaceutical flavoring agents.
Synthetic pharmaceutical flavoring agents
Most times incorporating natural flavoring agents into pharmaceutical formulations is not feasible. For these reasons, pharmaceutical synthetic flavoring agents are commonly used in drug products.
Officially, the FDA categorizes these synthetic flavors and defines them as any substance whose primary purpose is to provide flavor and is not considered a natural flavor.
However, research has shown that artificial flavors can be blends of extracted essential oils and individually synthesized aroma chemicals. Some of the artificial agents may be identical to those found in nature. These chemicals are combined in specific ratios to mimic the aroma of natural substances.
The best part of artificial flavors lies in their higher purity and uniform composition. A simple process of distillation can result in greater consistency and higher purity. They also reduce batch-to-batch variation. Additionally, they are less affected by changes in raw materials. Since artificial flavors are constructed from individual chemicals, they can exclude more reactive components. This makes them more resilient to thermal stresses during processing and helps them extend their shelf life compared to natural flavors. That is the reason why artificial flavors are frequently used in pharmaceutical products. We have listed five important examples of these flavoring agents below:
Eucalyptol
Eucalyptus is known for its minty aroma and spicy, cooling flavor. You may encounter lots of mouthwashes and cough medicines that have Eucalyptol as an active ingredient. This can serve as a cough suppressant. Eucalyptol gets its distinctive scent and taste from eucalyptus leaves.
Limonene
Orange and citrus are widely used flavors. They can be found in the rinds of citrus fruits, from which they are extracted for use in different industries. It is used in pharmaceutical products such as medicinal ointments and creams.
Menthone
The scent of peppermint, characterized by its refreshing aroma, is present in small quantities within natural essential oils like peppermint and pennyroyal. However, it is primarily produced synthetically for use in the food and pharma industry.
Alpha terpineol
It provides a sweet and pleasant aroma to a variety of personal care and pharmaceutical formulations. It is one of the components responsible for the antifungal properties in tea tree essential oil. Alpha terpineol acts as an antioxidant, anticancer, and anticonvulsant compound.
Terpinen-4-ol
Terpinen-4-ol is an isomer of terpineol mainly found in tea tree oil. It is mostly used in flavor and fragrance for citrus and spice types. Recent studies have found that terpinen-4-ol and alpha-terpineol (in a ratio of 10:1) act in synergy to kill bacterial pathogens. However, ongoing research is currently investigating the pharmacological actions of Terpinen-4-ol.
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