INFUSIONS

AND
DECOCTIONS
Author:
as. Yu.Yu. Plaskonis
Infusions and decoctions
are liquid medical
forms representing
water extractions from
medical plant raw
material, as well as
aqueous solutions of
dry or liquid extracts
(concentrates).
INFUSERS
Theoretical principles of the
extraction process of medicinal
plant raw material
The process of extraction of
active substances from the plant
raw material consists of the
following stages:
1) swelling
2) the primary sap formation
inside cells
3) mass exchange
THE FACTORS AFFECTING THE
COMPLETENESS AND THE RATE OF
EXTRACTION OF ACTIVE SUBSTANCES
The correlation between the amounts of the
raw material and extraction agent;
Standards of the raw material (the quantity of
active substances in the raw material);
The histological structure of the raw material;
The degree of powdering of the raw material;
The material of the apparatuses applied;
Temperature and the infusion time;
The influence of enzymes and the microflora;
The chemical composition of the active
substances;
pH .
The corelation of the amount of
raw material and extraction
agent 1:10 All plants, except strong-
effective ones
1:20 Althaea root
1:30 Valeriana, Adonis,
Claviceps purpurea,
Convallaria, Saponaria
officinalis, Polemonium
coeruleum, Polygala
vulgaris
1:400 Strong-effective plants
(Thermopsis, Digitalis, etc.)
Methods for prescribing water
extractions
Rp.: Infusi herbae Hyperici ex 10,0 - 200 ml
Da. Signa. For rinsing of the mouths
cavity.

According to the given formula it is necessary to

prepare 200 volumetric parts of the infusion from
10 weighed parts of St. Johns wort herb.

Rp.: Infusi hrb Lnuri 200 ml

Da. Signa. One tablespoon 3 times a day

In this case it is necessary to prepare 200 volumetric

parts of the infusion from 20 weighed parts of
Leonuri herb.
The water-absorption coefficient (Cwa) shows the
amount of a liquid, which is in 1.0 g of the plant
raw material of the standard degree of powdering
after its wringing in the punched glass of the
infusor.
Conventional coefficients:
for the roots 1.5;
for bark, flowers and herbs- 2.0;
for seeds 3.0.
For example, to obtain 200 ml of
infusion from Leonuri herb the
amount of water to be taken should
be: 200 + (20.0 2) = 240 ml.
TEMPERATURE AND DURATION OF THE
EXTRACTION PROCESS (KINETICS OF
EXTRACTION)
Water extraction Time of Time of cooling
infusion (the room
(the water temperature)
bath
temperature)
Infusion (less than ) 15 min 45 min
More than 1 l 25 min 45 min
Decoction (less than ) 30 min 10 min
More than 1 l 40 min 10 min
Infusions and 25 min artificially
decoctions with the
indication Cito! in
the prescriptions
Peculiarities of the infusion
formulation
from the raw materials containing
alkaloids
(Thermopsis herb, Belladonna herb,
Selaginis herb, Ipecacuanha root,
Chinchona bark, etc.).

The raw material is extracted by

water acidified with the
hydrochloric acid in the
concentration of 0.83% (the
quantity of the acid should be the
same as the amount of alkaloids in
the plant raw material)
Rp.: Infusi herbae Thermopsidis ex 0.5 -
200 ml
Natrii benzoatis 4.0
Misce. Da. Signa. One tablespoon 3 times
a day.
 This medical preparation is the mixture from the plant raw material
containing alkaloids (thermopsin, etc.), belonging to the strong-
effective substances, and sodium benzoate readily soluble in water. The
standards of the raw material according to the State Pharmacopoeia I
is 1.5 %. It means that
100.0 g of the raw material contains ------------1.5 g of alkaloids
0.5 g ----------- g of alkaloids
= 0.0075 g of alkaloids

The quantity of the hydrochloric acid solution (1:10) is 0.83 %:

0.83 g of hydrogen chloride ----------------------- 100 ml of the acid
solution
0.0075 g - -----------------------------X ml of the acid
solution
= 0.9 ml = 18 drops (1 ml - 20 drops).
 In the pre-heated porcelain infuser place
0.5 g of the powdered Thermopsis herb,
add 18 drops of 0.83 % of the
hydrochloric acid solution, add 200 ml of
the purified water (if the amount of a dry
medicinal raw material is less than 1.0 g;
the water absorption coefficient can be
neglected). Infuse for 15 minutes on the
boiling water bath, stirring constantly.
Then cool for 45 minutes and filter in the
volumetric cylinder. Press the raw
material with the press-strainer and add
water to the required volume through the
pressed raw material. Pour the infusion
obtained into the auxiliary bottle and
dissolve 4.0g of sodium benzoate, then
filter into the bottle for dispensing.
 WCP (front side)
Date Pr.
Herbae Thermopsidis 0.5
Sol. Acidi hydrochlorici (1:10) gtts XVIII (1 ml-
20 dr.)
Aquae purificatae 200 ml
Infusi herbae Thermopsidis ad 200 ml
Natrii benzoatis 4.0
V total =200 ml
Prepared by: (Signature)
Checked by: (Signature)
The peculiarities of the formulation of infusions
from the raw material containing cardiac
glycosides
(Digitalis leaves, Adonis herb, Drimia bulbs, etc.)

1. p of the medium should be neutral because

in the acid and alkaline medium the cardiac
glycosides are splitted to genines
2. Observance of the established degree of
powdering the plant raw material
3. A strict observance of the temperature and
time regimen of infusion

The peculiarities of the formulation of water

extractions from the plant raw material
containing volatile oils
(Valerian roots and rhizomes, mint leaves,
Origanum herb, chamomile flowers, etc.)
1. The process of extraction is conducted in
infusers tightly closed with covers
2. Filter only after the complete cooling of
infusion

The peculiarities of the formulation of water

extractions from the plant raw material
containing saponins
(Polygala root, Polemonium root and rhizomes,
Glycyrrhiza root, etc.)
Saponins are extracted the most completely in
the presence of sodium hydrocarbonate, which
is added calculated by 1.0 g per 10.0 g of the
raw material, but only if it is prescribed in the
formula.
Rp.: Infusi radicis Althaeae ex
4.0 - 100 ml
Natrii benzoatis 3.0
Natrii hydrocarbonatis 2.0
Liquoris Ammonii anisati 3 ml
Sirupi simplicis 10 ml
Misce. Da. Signa. One
tablespoon 3 times a day.
 The mixture from the raw material containing a
mucilage with the substances soluble in water, an
aromatic substance ammoniac anise drops,
which is specific when introducing, and a viscous
liquid the sugar syrup.
Place 4.8 g of the powdered Althea root in the
auxiliary bottle, add 120 ml of the purified water
and infuse at the room temperature within 30
minutes while stirring frequently by a glass stick.
When the time is over, the infusion is filtered
through a double gauze layer into a measuring
cylinder and without wringing the raw material,
add some water through the raw material to
make the volume to 100 ml. Pour the infusion
obtained into the auxiliary bottle, where at first
dissolve 2.0 g of sodium hydrocarbonate, then
add sodium benzoate and filter into the bottle for
dispensing. In a small jar measure 10 ml of a
simple syrup and 3 ml of ammoniac anis drops,
stir with a glass stick while shaking and add the
mixture to the infusion prepared.
TANK YOU FOR
ATTENTION!