Prepared by Shafiqah | Husna | Fairoza | Fadhilah HHV 5014 NUTRACEUTICAL FORMULATION TECHNOLOGY 7.6 TYPE OF SUSPENDING AGENT Prepared by Shafiqah | Husna | Fairoza | Fadhilah

DEFINITION Suspending agent excipient help active pharmaceutical active ingredient stay suspended in the formulation and prevent caking at the bottom of the container. Properties:- Easily re-suspended by the use of moderated agitation or shaking.

TYPE OF SUSPENDING AGENT Natural agent Inorganic salt Synthetic compound

1) Natural agent The official suspending agents were natural polysaccharides but nowadays semi synthetic compounds are increasingly used. Following are some examples of it:- Acacia Starch Alginates Xanthamn gums Traganchants

Acacia Acacia Traganchant Is dried exudates from Acacia senegal which occur as round ovoid colorless or white powder. Not as good suspending agent but its protective colloidal property. Used externally. Acacia As a thin, white or yellowish white, ribbon like flakes. It forms viscous solutions. Stable over pH 4 to 7.5 Used externally and internally. Acacia Traganchant

2) Inorganic salts Is the product of a reaction between hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide. An organic salt is just any salt that doesn’t contain carbon. Example:- Clay Bentonite Aluminum magnesium silicate Aluminium hydroxide

Magnesium aluminum silicate Is subtype of montmorillionite clays, they hydrate readily absorbing up to 12 times their weight of water particularly at elevated temperatures. The gels formed are thixotropic in nature so act as good suspending agent. Insoluble flakes that disperse and swell readily in water. Use internal and external Stable at pH 3.5 to 11. Bentonite Magnesium aluminum silicate

3) Synthetics Carbomer Colloidal silicon dioxide These were introduced to over come various problems occurring from natural products. Following are its examples:- Carbomer Colloidal silicon dioxide

Colloidal silicon dioxide This material is totally copolymer of acrylic acid and allyl sucrose. Used for external preparation. pH between 6 to 11. When dispersed in water they formed a three dimensional network. It used as thickening agent for non aqueous suspension. It obtain from silicon dioxide. Cannot be easily dispersible. Carbomer Colloidal silicon dioxide

CONCLUSION Suspending agent consist of 3 types which is natural agent, inorganic salt and synthetic compound. Each types of suspending agents have their own function and examples. Every type of suspending agent should have suitable pH to maintain their viscosity.