Herbal Preparations & Dosage Forms Flashcards

In herbal extraction terminology, the 'marc' refers to:

Answer: The spent plant material remaining after pressing the extract

The marc is the exhausted plant material (spent herb) left after the liquid menstruum has been pressed or drained away from the extraction vessel.

Percolation is preferred over simple maceration primarily because it:

Answer: Continuously exposes plant material to fresh menstruum, maintaining an extraction gradient

In percolation, fresh menstruum continuously replaces saturated solvent, maintaining a concentration gradient that drives more complete extraction of plant constituents.

Acetum herbal preparations use which primary menstruum?

Answer: Apple cider vinegar or food-grade acetic acid solution

Acetum preparations use apple cider vinegar or food-grade acetic acid as the solvent, which is particularly effective at extracting minerals and certain alkaloids from plant material.

Standardized herbal extracts are 'standardized' to ensure:

Answer: A consistent percentage of one or more identified marker compounds per dose

Standardization guarantees that each dose contains a specified percentage of key active or marker compounds (e.g., 0.3% hypericin in St. John's Wort extract) for consistent potency.

For a client who needs rapid absorption and precise dose adjustment, which dosage form is most appropriate?

Answer: Liquid tincture or fluid extract

Liquid tinctures and fluid extracts are absorbed more rapidly than solid forms because they bypass the dissolution step, and doses can be easily titrated with a dropper.

A Soxhlet extraction apparatus is used in herbal medicine primarily to:

Answer: Perform exhaustive extraction using a continuously recycling solvent system

The Soxhlet apparatus recycles solvent through plant material repeatedly, achieving exhaustive extraction commonly used in standardized extract production and research.

The shelf life of a properly prepared hydroethanolic tincture stored in amber glass away from heat is generally:

Answer: 3–5 years or longer

Tinctures with adequate alcohol content (40% or above) stored properly in amber glass away from light and heat are stable for 3–5 years or longer due to alcohol's preservative action.