Elixirs are clear, pleasantly flavored, sweetened hydroalcoholic liquids intended for oral use. The main ingredients in elixirs are ethanol and water but glycerin, sorbitol, propylene glycol, f lavoring agents, preservatives, and syrups are often used in the preparation of the final product.

Preparation of Elixirs

Elixirs are usually prepared by simple solution with agitation and/or by admixture of two or more liquid ingredients. Alcoholsoluble and water-soluble components are generally dissolved separately in alcohol and in purified water, respectively. Then the aqueous solution is added to the alcoholic solution, rather than the reverse, to maintain the highest possible alcoholic strength at all times so that minimal separation of the alcohol-soluble components occurs.

When the two solutions are completely mixed, the mixture is made to the volume with the specified solvent or vehicle. Frequently, the final mixture will be cloudy, principally because of separation of some of the flavoring oils by the reduced alcoholic concentration. If this occurs, the elixir is usually permitted to stand for a prescribed number of hours to ensure saturation of the hydroalcoholic solvent and to permit the oil globules to coalesce so that they may be more easily removed by filtration.

Talc, a frequent filter aid in the preparation of elixirs, absorbs the excessive amounts of oils and therefore assists in their removal from the solution. The presence of glycerin, syrup, sorbitol, and propylene glycol in elixirs generally contributes to the solvent effect of the hydroalcoholic vehicle, assists in the dissolution of the solute, and enhances the stability of the preparation. However, the presence of these materials adds to the viscosity of the elixir and slows the rate of filtration.

Reference:

• Ansel, H. (2014). Ansel’s Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms and Drug Delivery Systems. Baltimore, : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a Wolters Kluwer business.