Recent Advances in Herbal Effervescent Formulations: Challenges and Opportunities

The growing demand for convenient and palatable delivery systems for herbal medicines has significantly increased the interest in herbal effervescent formulations as an alternative to conventional dosage forms. Effervescent dosage forms offer rapid dissolution and the potential for enhanced absorption while masking unpleasant tastes often associated with herbal extracts. However, the successful formulation of herbal effervescent tablets presents unique challenges, including managing the complex physicochemical properties of herbal extracts, ensuring their stability and antioxidant activity within the effervescent matrix, and optimizing taste without compromising efficacy. Various studies have explored the formulation of effervescent tablets from diverse herbal sources like Kelakai root, Kaempferia galanga, and red ginger, employing different formulation methods, excipients like binders, lubricants, and sweeteners, and optimization techniques to achieve desired physical attributes and dissolution profiles. Given the expanding research in this area and the inherent complexities of herbal effervescent formulation, a comprehensive review is crucial to synthesize current knowledge, address existing challenges, and provide a roadmap for future research aimed at designing more effective and patient-friendly herbal effervescent products with improved stability, palatability, and bioavailability.