Biphasic dosage forms:

SUSPENSIONS
 Define Suspensions.
 Give advantages and disadvantages of suspensions.
 Classify suspensions.
 Differentiate between flocculated and deflocculated suspension
 Discuss formulation of suspension
 Describe Stoke’s law for stability of suspension

EMULSIONS
 Define Emulsion.
 Give advantages and disadvantages of Emulsion.
 Classify Emulsion.
 Give test for identification of the type of emulsion
 Discuss formulation of Emulsion
 Describe instability in Emulsion

SUSPENSIONS
Definition: A Pharmaceutical suspension is a coarse dispersion in which insoluble or sparingly-
soluble drugs are dispersed uniformly in aqueous or oily vehicles.

Classification:
1. Based On General Classes
a. Oral suspension
b. Externally applied suspension
c. Parenteral suspension
2. Based On Proportion Of Solid Particles
a. Dilute suspension (2 to10%w/v solid)
b. Concentrated suspension (50%w/v solid)
3. Based On Electrokinetic Nature Of Solid Particles
a. Flocculated suspension
b. Deflocculated suspension
4. Based On Size Of Solid Particles
a. Colloidal suspension (< 1 micron)
b. Coarse suspension (>1 micron)
c. Nano suspension (10 ng)

Advantages
i. Pharmaceutical Suspension can improve chemical stability of certain drug. E.g.Procaine
penicillin G
ii. Drug in suspension exhibits higher rate of bioavailability than other dosage forms.
iii. bioavailability is in following order:
Solution > Suspension > Capsule > Compressed Tablet > Coated tablet
iv. Duration and onset of action can be controlled. E.g.Protamine Zinc-Insulin suspension
v. Suspension can mask the unpleasant/ bitter taste of drug. E.g. Chloramphenicol

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Disadvantages
i. Physical stability, sedimentation and compaction can causes problems.
ii. It is bulky sufficient care must be taken during handling and transport.
iii. It is difficult to formulate
iv. Uniform and accurate dose cannot be achieved unless suspension are packed in
unit dosage form

Applications
a. Suspension is usually applicable for drug which is insoluble or poorly soluble. E.g.
Prednisolone suspension
b. To prevent degradation of drug or to improve stability of drug. E.g. Oxytetracycline
suspension
c. To mask the taste of bitter of unpleasant drug. E.g. Chloramphenicol palmitate
suspension
d. Suspension of drug can be formulated for topical application e.g. Calamine lotion
e. Suspension can be formulated for parenteral application in order to control rate of drug
absorption.
f. Vaccines as a immunizing agent are often formulated as suspension. E.g. Cholera vaccine
g. X-ray contrast agents are also formulated as suspension. E.g. Barium sulphate for
examination of alimentary tract

Qualities of ideal suspension

1. The suspended particles should not settle rapidly and sediment produced, must be
easily re-suspended by the use of moderate amount of shaking.
2. It should be easy to pour yet not watery and no grittiness.
3. It should have pleasing odor, color and palatability.
4. Good syringeability.
5. It should be physically, chemically and microbiologically stable.
6. Parenteral/Ophthalmic suspension should be sterilizable.

Flocculated and deflocculated suspensions

Difference between Flocculated suspension and Deflocculated suspension

Deflocculated System  Flocculated System 

1. Particles exist in suspension as separate
entities
2. Rate of sedimentation is slow as each
particle settles separately and particle
size is minimal
3. A sediment is formed slowly
4. Particles settle independently and
separately 
1. Particles form loose aggregates
2. Rate of sedimentation is high as
particles settle as a floc which is
collection of particles
3. 3. A sediment is formed rapidly
4. Particles settle as flocs. 

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 5. The sedimentation is closely packed 5. Sediment is a loosely packed network
and forms a hard cake.  and hard cake cannot form. 
a. The sediment eventually a. The sediment is packed loosely
becomes closely packed due to and possesses a scaffold like
weight of upper layers of structure. Particles do not bind
sedimenting material. Repulsive tightly to each other and a hard
forces between particles are dense cake does not form. The
over come and a hard cake is sediment is easy to redisperse
formed that is difficult to so as to reform the original
redisperse suspension.
6. The hard cake cannot be redispersed.  6. The sediment is easy to redisperse. 
7. Supernatant remains cloudy.  7. Supernatant is clear 

8. This type of suspension has a pleasing 8. The suspension is somewhat unsightly,

appearance, since the particles are due to rapid sedimentation and presence
suspended of an obvious clear supernatant region.
relatively longer period of time.

The Sedimentation Behavior of Flocculated and Deflocculated Suspensions:

Flocculated Suspensions:
In flocculated suspension, formed flocs (looseaggregates) will cause increase in sedimentation
rate due to increase in size of sedimenting particles. Hence, flocculated suspensions sediment
more rapidly.

Here, the sedimentation depends not only on the size of the flocs but also on the porosity of
flocs. In flocculated suspension the loose structure of the rapidly sedimenting flocs tends to
preserve in the sediment, which contains an appreciable amount of entrapped liquid. The volume
of final sediment is thus relatively large and is easily redispersed by agitation.

Deflocculated suspensions
In deflocculated suspension, individual particles are settling, so rate of sedimentation is slow
which prevents entrapping of liquid medium which makes it difficult to re-disperse by agitation.
This phenomenon also called ‘cracking’ or ‘claying’. In deflocculated suspension larger particles

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settle fast and smaller remain in supernatant liquid so supernatant appears cloudy whereby in
flocculated suspension, even the smallest particles are involved in flocs, so the supernatant does
not appear cloudy.

Fig 2.2: Sedimentation behavior of flocculated and deflocculated suspensions

Formulation of Suspensions

Following additives are used –

1. Wetting agents
It reduces the interfacial tension between the solid drug particles and liquid medium by
absorbing at the solid/liquid interface in such a way that affinity of the drug particles for the
surrounding fluid is increased and the inter particular forces are decreased, thus producing the
suspension of required quality.
Examples:
Alcohol in tragacanth mucilage,

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 Glycerin in sodium alginate,
Bentonite dispersion and
Polysorbate

2. Thickening agents: (Hydrophilic colloids) :

It forms colloidal dispersions with water and increases the viscosity of continuous phase ,so that
the solid drug particles remain suspended in the continuous phase for sufficient long time to
measure a uniform accurate dose.
Examples:
I. Polysaccharides:
a. Natural: gum acacia,tracaganth, starch, sodium alginate
b. Semi synthetic: MC, SCMC, MCC
II. Inorganic agents:
a. Clay, Aluminum hydroxide
III. Synthetic compounds:
a. Carbomer, Colloidal Silicon di oxide

3. Preservatives
To preserve the suspension against bacterial growth.
Examples:
Benzoic acid,
Sodium benzoate,
Methyl parabene,
Propyl parabene

4. Organoleptic additives :
To enhance the patients acceptability or mask the unpleasant taste or appearance of the
preparation
 Coloring agents -saffron,cochineal red,caramel,coal tar dyes, FD&C red
no:3
 Sweetening agents -sucrose,dextrose,liquid glucose,sorbitol,simple syrup
 Flavoring agents- orange or gentian infusion,vanillin,peppermint ,menthol,
anise/dill/cinnamon waters