What are Effervescent Tablets? Working, Benefits & Making

Traditional oral medications, such as tablets and syrups, have their own challenges, including difficulty in swallowing and low bioavailability. This is exactly where effervescent tablets come in! Although these tablets are also a form of oral dose, they are 100% bioavailable, easy to consume, and gentle on the stomach. If you want to know more about effervescent tablets, their composition, advantages, and how they work, keep reading!

What are Effervescent Tablets?

Effervescent tablets, also known as fizzy tablets, are medications that quickly dissolve in water, releasing carbon dioxide. They are gaining popularity quickly in the market and contain over-the-counter active pharmaceutical ingredients.

For instance, you can get an API like paracetamol in a more convenient, drinkable form. Some other pros of these tablets include alleviating disease symptoms and enhancing overall hydration. There are two types of effervescing tablets you frequently come across:

• Effervescents containing paracetamol or acetaminophen work for fever, cold, flu, and respiratory infections.
• Effervescents contain minerals such as calcium and vitamins to provide the body with natural supplements required for optimal growth.

How do Effervescent Tablets Work?

The working of an effervescent tablet is quite simple: it contains an effervescent agent, such as sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate, along with an acidic agent.

As you place it in a glass of water, the bicarbonate from the effervescing agent reacts with the acid present in the water. This reaction leads to the quick release of carbon dioxide, creating tiny gas bubbles, also known as fizz, in the liquid.

The drug then dissolves in water within seconds, allowing you to drink it without worrying about the gritty texture. On top of this, since the solution has high carbonate salt, it increases gastric pH temporarily, which leads to faster drug absorption.

Key Ingredients of Effervescent Tablets

If you want a detailed insight into the key ingredients of effervescent tablets to better understand how they work, here’s an overview:

• Effervescing Agents: Sodium bicarbonate is commonly used as an effervescing agent in these tablets. However, if the goal is to keep sodium content low, you can also opt for potassium bicarbonate.
• Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients: Many active ingredients are present in effervescent tablets, including herbals, nutraceuticals, coenzymes, amino acids, minerals, and vitamins. Some formulations also contain active pharmaceuticals, such as paracetamol or acetaminophen, to address various health challenges.
• Acidic Agents: To improve solubility and catalyze effervescence, these tablets include acidic agents such as tartaric acid, malic acid, and citric acid.
• Flavoring Agents: For a long time and even now, many pharmaceutical products have a bitter taste. But effervescing medications have flavoring agents and sweeteners that make them more enjoyable than traditional tablets.
• Binders or Stabilizers: Binders and stabilizers, such as polyols (sorbitol, mannitol), lactose, and sucrose, bind the tablet ingredients to ensure they have good stability and withstand handling and dissolution in water.

How are Effervescing Tablets Made?

Now that you are aware of the composition of effervescing tablets, the following steps will brief you about their manufacturing:

Step 1: Ingredients Selection

The first step in effervescents manufacturing is ingredient selection. You need to get organic acids, effervescing agents, active ingredients, and desiccants to absorb moisture.

Step 2: Granulation

Typically, granulation is the process of creating large, uniform particles from powder. It’s an important step for effervescents, ensuring active ingredients don’t separate during compression and the overall tablet has incredible flowability. It happens in two steps, given as:

• Wet Granulation: Binding solutions are added to the mixture of the powdered active ingredient and other excipients. This wet mass is then screened to form wet granules, which are subsequently dried in an oven or a fluid bed dryer.
• Dry Granulation: If you are working with ingredients that are sensitive to moisture or heat, powders can be compressed into large slugs that are sieved and milled to create granules.

Step 3: Blending

After granulation, not every particle is of the same size. So to ensure uniformity, they are passed through a sieve. These granules are then mixed or blended with other ingredients, including flavors and lubricants. Be careful not to aggressively overmix the granules, as this can lead to ingredient segregation.

Step 4: Compression

The mixed granules are pressed into a tablet form using a tablet press machine in a temperature and humidity-controlled environment. Here are the general steps of a tablet press:

1. Granules are fed from a hopper into the die cavity. The volume in this step is precisely managed to ensure each tablet has a consistent weight.
2. Upper and lower punches apply high pressure on the tablet, forming a compressed, solid structure.
3. Finally, the power punch rises a little and ejects the tablet from the die cavity.

Step 5: Quality Control

Now that effervescent tablets are made, they are tested for quality control. For instance, you can perform a disintegration test to determine whether a tablet dissolves quickly and completely when submerged in water.

You also need to check how much carbon dioxide is released and if it’s absorbed well by the body. Doing so ensures that the final product is effective and safe for consumption.

Step 6: Packaging

Proper packaging is a must to make sure that effervescents are protected from moisture that may trigger a fizzing reaction. Blister packs, foil pouches, and aluminum tubes with desiccant caps are all suitable for them. They prevent humidity interaction during storage, allowing the tablet to maintain its integrity.

Advantages of Effervescent Tablets

Did you know that the effervescing tablet market size was valued at USD 9.78 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 19.06 billion by 2031? Yes, it’s true! This huge market growth is particularly due to the amazing benefits of these tablets, such as:

100% Bioavailability

Traditional tablets have a low bioavailability, ranging from 50% to 70%. They dissolve slowly in the stomach, and the overall nutrient absorption is quite low. However, on the other hand, effervescents offer a massive 100% bioavailability.

Since these tablets undergo a fizzing reaction, the active ingredients immediately disintegrate and dissolve in water. This solution is absorbed faster into the bloodstream, maximizing the amount of nutrients the body can absorb.

Gentle on the Stomach

When we look at traditional tablets, they aren’t always fully dissolved in the body after consumption. The incomplete dissolution can cause severe irritation and discomfort in the stomach and gastrointestinal tract.

For instance, patients may experience issues such as ulcers, bloating, nausea, and digestive system pain. What truly makes effervescents stand out here is their gentle phenomena.

They dissolve completely once inside the body, so there is no localized concentration of ingredients anywhere in the body. People then don’t complain about GI infections, but not to take it excessively, as an excess of everything is bad.

Better Hydration

It’s essential to maintain a proper hydration level in your body to regulate body temperature and lubricate your joints. However, often people get so busy in the hustle and bustle of daily life that they end up skipping their much-needed glass of water.

That’s where effervescent tablets help. They promote fluid intake in the body, enabling people to stay well-hydrated.

How? Well, to take these tablets,  individuals add them to a glass of water and drink them. This way, they not only have a liquid uptake but also enjoy other benefits from dietary supplements or herbal medicines.

Easy Swallowing

Often, traditional oral medications require swallowing. But this might not be a viable option for kids who can choke on the tablet or others suffering from a sore throat.

Statistics show that up to 40% of American adults have reported problems, experiencing gagging, choking, or vomiting. One of the major benefits of effervescent tablets is that they are easy to swallow.

They are dissolved in water before use, so individuals have a liquid solution rather than a solid tablet. This makes it a convenient option for people of all ages, especially those who need to take multiple tablets daily.

Good Taste

Medicines and good taste do not always go hand in hand. Gladly, effervescent tablets have made this possible. They contain a nice, fizzy, and sweet flavor that significantly enhances their taste when dissolved in water.

Individuals don’t experience a metallic taste that’s associated with other traditional medications. They even serve as a nutritious option for people who get sudden sweet cravings.

Factors Affecting the Stability and Efficacy of Effervescent Tablets

Several factors, including pH, temperature, and moisture, affect the stability and efficacy of effervescent tablets. Let’s discuss them in detail:

• Moisture: Even a slight humidity can trigger a premature reaction between the acid and carbonate, leading to tablet swelling, CO2 release, and reduced action.
• Temperature: High temperatures can accelerate the degradation of active ingredients and the release of vapors inside the packaging, making the tablets highly unstable.
• pH: Some active ingredients do not work well in acidic conditions, leading to poor solubility and reduced efficacy.

Consumption Method for Effervescent Tablets

For anyone who’s going to take effervescing tablets, it’s essential to follow a proper consumption method. Don’t know about it? Here are the steps:

1. First, a person should use warm water, around 40°C, to dissolve effervescents. High temperatures or hot beverages aren’t suggested as they can interfere with the chemical process.
2. They need to drink it immediately once the tablet is fully dissolved; don’t leave it for a long time, as this can dent its effectiveness.
3. Once they are done drinking, they must attend to their oral care. This involves rinsing the mouth carefully to avoid any organic acid residue that may harm the mouth lining.

Real-Time Examples

Some effervescent tablets that are readily available in many pharmaceutical shops are:

• Berocca: Berocca is an incredible effervescent supplement that contains a high dose of B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, and essential minerals like calcium, zinc, and magnesium. It helps improve cognitive performance and overall stamina.
• Alka-Seltzer: Alka-Seltzer is an effervescent antacid that’s owned by Bayer since 1978. It primarily contains aspirin, which helps relieve mild headaches, nerve pain, swelling, and a sore throat.

FAQs

What are the precautions for effervescent tablets?

The necessary precautions for effervescent tablets include taking only the intact ones and discarding any that have become damp. In addition, individuals aren’t recommended to take excessive amounts of tablets that contain vitamin C, as it’s harmful.

How long does it take for the effervescent tablets to dissolve?

Generally, it takes about 2 minutes for the effervescent tablets to dissolve completely and for the active ingredients to become fully available in solution.

Are effervescent tablets safe for everyone?

No, effervescent tablets aren’t safe for everyone, especially for people with kidney issues and high blood pressure issues.

What is the common equipment for effervescent tablet manufacturing?

Common equipment for effervescent tablet manufacturing includes a siever, dryer, high-shear mixer, and dry granulator.

Conclusion

Effervescent tablets are becoming popular and for all the right reasons. They are more convenient and pleasant for individuals. If you are a pharmaceutical company owner seeking to produce top-quality effervescent products and require reliable equipment, contact Finetech! We offer a comprehensive range of tablet presses and effervescent tablet tube filling machine that cater to your pharmaceutical needs efficiently.

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