Abstract

ADVANCING HERBAL THERAPEUTICS THROUGH EFFERVESCENT FORMULATIONS: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Shubham Patel, Sunil Ahirwar*, Satkar Prasad and Shailesh Kumar Ghatuwary

RKDF School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, BHABHA University, Bhopal (M.P.)

ABSTRACT

The increasing preference for user-friendly and better-tasting alternatives to traditional herbal dosage forms has driven substantial interest in effervescent herbal formulations. These systems offer the dual advantage of rapid dissolution and improved bioavailability, while effectively masking the often bitter or astringent taste of herbal extracts. Despite these benefits, the development of herbal effervescent tablets involves notable formulation challenges such as accommodating the variable and often unstable physicochemical nature of herbal constituents, preserving their antioxidant potential, and achieving optimal sensory attributes without sacrificing therapeutic effectiveness. Several studies have investigated effervescent formulations using plant-based ingredients, incorporating various excipients including binders, sweeteners, and disintegrants. Additionally, formulation techniques such as wet and dry granulation, direct compression, and emerging technologies like 3D printing have been employed to enhance physical properties, stability, and dissolution behavior. Given the growing scope and complexity of this field, a thorough review is essential to consolidate current findings, identify key formulation strategies, and outline future research pathways toward developing robust, palatable, and efficacious herbal effervescent delivery systems.

Keywords: Effervescent granules; Taste masking; Herbal formulation; Solubility.