Formulation Development, Characterization and Antimicrobial Activity Evaluation of Sugar-Based and Sugar-Free Syrup Prepared with the Ingredients of Jushanda-Nazla

Jushanda (decoction), often used in traditional medicine, has many drawbacks like disagreeable taste, bulky dose, cumbersome preparation, and short stability. Therefore, in the present study, jushanda nazla (JN) was modified and optimized into a sugar-based (SBS) and sugar-free (SFS) syrup dosage form and evaluated for various physicochemical parameters, microbial contaminations and antimicrobial activities. JN was concentrated and reduced to minimum quantity by heating and twelve batches of SBS and five batches of SFS were prepared for optimization. Out of these, the best batch of SBS and SFS were selected based on consistency and minimum bulk. The best batches were further evaluated for the physicochemical parameter, microbial and heavy metal contamination. The finished products were also evaluated for antimicrobial activity against selected microbes. SBS was optimized with 170 mL JN reduced to 50 mL, sugar 40% (w/v) and consistency of one wire. SFS was optimized with 170 mL JN reduced to 30 mL, and 96 mg of aspartame. Organoleptic characters, ash value, viscosity, specific gravity and pH of finished products were satisfactory. The concentration of total phenolic, flavonoid, tannin, alkaloid and glycyrrhizin and chlorogenic acid were comparative in JN, SBS and SFS. SBS and SFS passed the WHO guideline for microbial and heavy metal contamination. Finished products showed significant antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Salmonella. Analytical data of SBS and SFS showed significant optimistic results hence, generated data can be used for future reference. However, developed formulations should be further evaluated for their stability, safety and clinical efficacy.