SALINE CATAHRTICS

saline cathartics
classification of saline cathartics
mechanism of action
compound used as saline cathartics

1. GASTRO INTESTINAL AGENT SALINE CATHARTICS PROF. TAUFIK MULLA Asst. Professor Dept. of Pharmaceutics SPBC College of Pharmacy

2. INTRODUCTION Saline means salt ( a inorganic compound having salt) Cathartic is a substance that accelerates defecation. Saline cathartics means a drug which relieve constipation and support defecation. Defecation is the final act of digestion, by which organisms eliminate solid, semisolid, or liquid waste material from the digestive tract via the anus. Humans expel feces with a frequency varying from a few times daily to a few times weekly. Laxatives - drug which support the elimination of soft formed feces Purgatives – drug which produce a more fluid evacuation(discharge from bod y). Laxatives, Purgatives are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation

3. INTRODUCTION Cathartics are used for: to ease defecation (difficulty in defecation) in patients with painful hemorrhoids (a swollen vein or group of veins in the region of the anus.) or other rectal disorders (constipation, colon cancer) and to avoid excessive straining (excess labor work, excess stretching) and increase in abdominal pressure in patients with hernias to avoid potentially hazardous rise in B.P. during defecation in patients with hypertension, cerebral coronary or other arterial disease to relieve acute constipation to remove solid material from intestinal tract

4. INTRODUCTION Constipation is relieved by non therapeutic measures like increasing the fiber content of daily diet intake or increase daily fluid intake. If it fails the laxatives and purgatives are used. The intensity of their action depends on dose. Laxatives eliminates soft semisolid stool and the purgative lead to watery evacuation. Laxative should only be used for short term therapy as continuously use leads to loss of natural bowl function upon which normal evacuation depends, causing patient to become dependent on laxatives, the so called laxative effect.

5. INTRODUCTION Constipation is the infrequent or difficult evacuation of the feces. It may be due to a person resisting the natural function to defecate, causing the fecal material which remains in the colon to lose fluid and to become relatively dry and hard. Constipation can also be due to intestinal atony (losing strength of muscle), intestinal spasm (contraction of muscle), emotions, drugs and diet.

6. CLASSIFICATION MECHANISM ACTION Saline cathartics are the salt of poorly absorbed anion or cation. Saline indicate certain compound of salt of sodium and magnesium. Classification : Stimulant Bulk forming Emollient Saline cathartics

7. STIMULANT Stimulants act by local irritation on the intestinal tract. Drug increase peristaltic activity (  wave-like muscle contractions which move food through the digestive tract. It starts in the esophagus where strong wave-like motions of the smooth muscle move balls of swallowed food to the stomach) . They include phenolphthalein, aloin, cascara extract, rhubarb extract, senna extract, podophyllin, castor oil, bisacodyl, calomel etc

8. BULK FORMING Bulk forming laxatives are made from cellulose, sodium carboxyl methyl cellulose and karaya gum It acts on intestinal luminal and it’s a Hydrophilic in nature. Indigestible vegetable fibres which stimulate peristalsis . Peristalsis produce defecation reflexes by increasing the fecal bulk due to their water absorbing and retaining capacity. Administered with plenty of water

9. EMOLLIENT The emollient laxatives act either as lubricants facilitating the passage of compacted fecal material or as stool softeners. E.g. mineral oil Pharmacologically inert mineral oils. It acts on intestinal lumen. It is fecal lubricants and stool softener by decreasing the water absorption from the stools. e.g. liquid paraffin 15-30ml / day at bed time

10. SALINE CATHARTICS Saline cathartics act by increasing the osmotic load of the GIT by absorbing large quantity of water and ultimately stimulate peristalsis. They are salts of poorly absorbable anions –H2PO4- (biphosphate), -HPO42- (phosphate), sulphates, tartrates, and soluble magnesium salt. Saline cathartics are water soluble and are taken with large quantities of water. This prevents excessive loss of water from body fluids and reduces nausea vomiting if a too hypertonic solution should reach the stomach. They act in the intestine and a full cathartic dose produces a water evacuation within 3-6 hrs. Because of their quick onset of action they are given early in the morning before breakfast .

11. MAGNESIUM SULPHATE Chemical formula – MgSO4 Molecular weight – 246.5 Synonym – Epsom salt Properties – Color – small in size colorless crystal Odor – odorless Taste – cooling saline bitter taste Solubility – freely soluble in water. Slightly soluble in alcohol

12. Method of preparation – It is prepared by reaction sulphuric acid with magnesium carbonate or magnesium oxide. MgCO3 + H2SO4 MgSO4 + H2O + CO2 Uses - Used as oral saline cathartics Should not given to renal impaired patient Used as antidote for barium, barbiturates types of poisoning Used in hypertension and convulsion