DIGESTANTS & CARMINATIVE
DIGESTANTS
• These are substances intended to promote digestion of food.
• A number of proteolytic, amylolytic and lipolytic enzymes are marketed in combination
formulations and are vigorously promoted for dyspeptic symptoms, and as appetite
stimulants or health tonics.
Hydrochloric acid
• It may be used in achlorhydria;10 ml of dilute HCl (10%) should be further diluted to
100-200 ml with water and sipped with a straw (to prevent contact with teeth) during
meals.
Pepsin
• May be used along with HCl in gastric achylia due to atrophic gastritis, gastric
carcinoma, pernicious anaemia, etc.
Papain
• It is a proteolytic enzyme obtained from raw papaya.
• Its efficacy after oral ingestion is doubtful
Pancreatin
• It is a mixture of pancreatic enzymes obtained from hog and pig pancreas.
• It contains amylase, trypsin and lipase; indicated in chronic pancreatitis and other
exocrine pancreatic deficiency states.
• Fat and nitrogen content of stools may be reduced and diarrhoea/ steatorrhoea may be
prevented.
• It has to be used as enteric coated tablets or capsules to protect the enzymes from being
themselves digested in stomach by pepsin.
• Nausea, diarrhoea and hypen:ricaernia are the occasional side effects.
Diastase and Takadiastase
• These are amylolytic enzymes obtained from the fungus Aspergillus. They have been
used in pancreatic insufficiency.
Karthika D P
M.Pharm Pharmacology
DIGESTANTS
• These are substances intended to promote digestion of food.
• A number of proteolytic, amylolytic and lipolytic enzymes are marketed in combination
formulations and are vigorously promoted for dyspeptic symptoms, and as appetite
stimulants or health tonics.
Hydrochloric acid
• It may be used in achlorhydria;10 ml of dilute HCl (10%) should be further diluted to
100-200 ml with water and sipped with a straw (to prevent contact with teeth) during
meals.
Pepsin
• May be used along with HCl in gastric achylia due to atrophic gastritis, gastric
carcinoma, pernicious anaemia, etc.
Papain
• It is a proteolytic enzyme obtained from raw papaya.
• Its efficacy after oral ingestion is doubtful
Pancreatin
• It is a mixture of pancreatic enzymes obtained from hog and pig pancreas.
• It contains amylase, trypsin and lipase; indicated in chronic pancreatitis and other
exocrine pancreatic deficiency states.
• Fat and nitrogen content of stools may be reduced and diarrhoea/ steatorrhoea may be
prevented.
• It has to be used as enteric coated tablets or capsules to protect the enzymes from being
themselves digested in stomach by pepsin.
• Nausea, diarrhoea and hypen:ricaernia are the occasional side effects.
Diastase and Takadiastase
• These are amylolytic enzymes obtained from the fungus Aspergillus. They have been
used in pancreatic insufficiency.
Karthika D P
M.Pharm Pharmacology
