Abstract
Globules, compressed tablets and tablet triturates are solid dosage forms used in homeopathy. Divergences can be noted between the preparation techniques described in official compendiums as well as those applied in homeopathic pharmacies. The difficulty associated with standardization of the impregnation of these dosage forms occurs due to the lack of detail provided for the techniques in the literature, leaving it up to each pharmacy to decide on the exact method of preparation. The objective was to optimize the impregnation technique, through investigating the variables that influence the impregnation of globules, compressed tablets and tablet triturates, applying the statistical tool of factorial design. The independent variables were the dosage form, percentage and type of impregnation and drying temperature, and the dependent variables were the mass gain, disintegration time, friability and hardness. For the globules, the greatest mass gain was for 10% impregnation and drying at 20 ºC. For the tablet triturates and compressed tablets the greatest mass gain was for 15% impregnation and there was no difference between the results obtained using simple and triple impregnation or different drying temperatures. The results can contribute to improving the final product quality, besides aiding in the establishment of standardized techniques for the official compendiums.
Highlights
Homeopathy is currently one of the fastest growing medical and pharmaceutical areas in Brazil, due, in particular, to the health policies that call for its incorporation in the Unified Health System (Brasil, 2006, 2010)
To carry out the tests the following materials were used: inert globules No 5 (Laboratório Scharaibmann Ltda), inert tablet triturates (Laboratório Scharaibmann Ldta), inert compressed tablets (Laboratório Scharaibmann Ltda), 96% hydrated ethanol obtained from cereals (Agro Industrial Tarumã Ltda.), alcohol solution (96%) of methyl violet 1% (m/V), adjustable-volume pipette
Many factors need to be considered in relation to preparing homeopathic medicines in solid dosage forms and the combination of these factors affects the final product quality
Summary
Homeopathy is currently one of the fastest growing medical and pharmaceutical areas in Brazil, due, in particular, to the health policies that call for its incorporation in the Unified Health System (Brasil, 2006, 2010). Homeopathic treatment consists of seeking a medicine that provokes the totality of the symptoms presented by the patient To this aim, a substance is administered which is able to produce symptoms similar to the disease and stronger than it in healthy, sensitive, individuals during experimentation (nowadays in clinical trials), in order to stimulate the organism to react against the illness (Hahnemann, 2001). Substances are diluted or potentialized by succussion and/or successive triturations, representing the dynamization process These medicines, when used internally, can be dispensed in liquid dosage forms, as drops and single doses, or as solid dosage forms, such as globules, compressed tablets and tablet triturates. These dosage forms, through their impregnation, are used as a vehicle for the substances derived from the source material (Fontes, 2005)
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