Comparative Stability Analysis of Herbal and Synthetic Pharmaceutical Formulations
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69996/fmep.2026028Keywords:
Phytochemicals, Physicochemical Properties, Shelf-Life Parameters, Herbal FormulationsAbstract
The increasing use of herbal medicines has generated significant interest in evaluating their pharmaceutical stability in comparison with synthetic formulations. Herbal products contain complex mixtures of phytochemicals that are highly susceptible to environmental degradation. The present study aimed to compare the stability characteristics of herbal and synthetic pharmaceutical formulations under different environmental conditions. Physicochemical properties, active ingredient retention, microbial contamination, and shelf-life parameters were analyzed using standard pharmaceutical methods. Accelerated stability testing demonstrated that herbal formulations exhibited greater sensitivity to temperature, humidity, and oxidation compared to synthetic products. However, appropriate packaging and controlled storage conditions significantly improved the stability of herbal preparations. The study highlights the need for standardized quality control measures and advanced formulation strategies to enhance the stability and therapeutic reliability of herbal pharmaceuticals.
References
[1] A. A. Farooqi and B. A. Shreeramu, Cultivation of Medicinal and Aromatic Crops, 1st ed. Hyderabad, India: Universities Press (India) Ltd., 2001, pp. 1–10.
[2] C. K. Kokate, A. P. Purohit, and S. B. Gokhale, Textbook of Pharmacognosy, 45th ed. Mumbai, India: Nirali Prakashan, 2010, pp. 1.4–1.8.
[3] S. H. Ansari, Essentials of Pharmacognosy, 4th ed. New Delhi, India: Birla Publication, 2011, pp. 469–524.
[4] M. S. Hakim, Hamdard Pharmacopeia of Eastern Medicine, reprint ed. New Delhi, India: Shri Satguru Publications, 1997, pp. vii–xiv.
[5] A. C. Dweck, “Natural preservatives,” NaturalIngredient.org, pp. 1–33, 2023.
[6] R. Marks, A. Plunkett, K. Merlin, and N. Jenner, Atlas of Common Skin Diseases. Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia: Dept. of Dermatology, St. Vincent’s Hospital, pp. 6–30, 2012.
[7] P. K. Mukherjee, Quality Control of Herbal Drugs: An Approach to Evaluation of Botanicals. New Delhi, India: Business Horizons, 2002, pp. 493–515, 599–622.
[8] A. Farooqi, “Herbal skin care formulation and a process for the preparation thereof,” patent, 2002.
[9] G. Trease and W. Evans, A Textbook of Pharmacognosy, 15th ed. London, U.K.: Academic Press, 2006, p. 274.
[10] K. R. Kirtikar and B. D. Basu, Indian Medicinal Plants, vols. I–IV. Dehradun, India: International Book Distributors, 1918, pp. 161–164, 1042–1043, 2592–2593, plates 93, 420, and 991.
[11] K. M. Nadkarni, Indian Materia Medica, vol. 1. Bombay, India: Popular Prakashan, 1954, pp. 894– 895.
[12] C. Atal and B. Kapur, Cultivation and Utilization of Aromatic Plants. Jammu, India: Regional Research Laboratory, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1982, pp. 638–639, 736.
[13] W.-H. Hui and M.-M. Li, “Neutral triterpenoids from Melaleuca leucadendron,” Phytochemistry, vol. 15, no. 4, p. 563, 1976.
[14] J. L. Courtney, E. V. Lassak, and G. B. Speirs, “Leaf wax constituents of some myrtaceous species,” Phytochemistry, vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 947–949, 1983.
[15] U. Srilakshmi, J Manikandan, Thanmayee Velagapudi, Gandla Abhinav, Tharun Kumar, and Dogiparthy Saideep, “A New Approach to Computationally- Successful Linear and Polynomial Regression Analytics of Large Data in Medicine,” JCAI, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 35–48, 2024.
[16] C. A. Pearce and K. D. Hyde, “Phyllachora from Australia: Observations on P. pseudostromatica, P. melaleucae and a new species, P. shivasii from the host Melaleuca,” Mycological Research, vol. 99, no. 10, pp. 1253–1260, 1995.