Definition of Physical Evaluation of Drugs
- Measurement of physical parameters and constants that help gauge purity and identity.
Common Physical Tests
- Foreign Matter Content: Visual or sieve-based inspection.
- Moisture Content / Loss on Drying: Prevents microbial growth, ensures stability.
- Ash Values
- Total Ash: Inorganic residue after incineration.
- Acid-Insoluble Ash: Detects silica and dirt.
- Water-Soluble Ash.
- Extractive Values: Water-soluble, alcohol-soluble extractives indicating content of soluble constituents.
- Volatile Oil Content: For aromatic drugs (clove, cinnamon).
- Melting/Boiling Point: Helps identify purified natural compounds (e.g., camphor).
- Specific Gravity / Optical Rotation: Characteristic for certain oils and solutions.
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Significance
- Physical Evaluation of Drugs Quantitative measure of purity (limits set in pharmacopoeias).
- Quality control benchmark across batches.
Limitations
- Does not definitively confirm chemical identity of active constituents.
- Some tests can vary based on environmental or processing factors.
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