Tincture

 Definition:

Tinctures are alcoholic or hydroalcoholic solutions usually containing dilute concentration of active principles of vegetable or animal drugs.

Methods of preparation:   They are commonly prepared by maceration or by percolation process.

• Herbs are put in a container and a spirit of 40% or more ethanol is added, 80 proof Vodka or 190 proof Everclear, for example.
• The jar is left to stand for 2–3 weeks and shaken occasionally in order to maximize extraction.

More accurate measuring can be done by combining 1 part herbs with a water-ethanol mixture of 2-10 parts, depending on the herb itself. For most tinctures, however, 1 part water to 5 parts ethanol is typical. 

                                 

 Most tinctures of vegetable drugs represents the extractive from 20g of the drug in 100ml of tincture.

Examples:

Name of the preparation	Uses	Reference IP 1966 (page no.)
Aconite Tincture IP Belladonna Tincture IP Capsicum Tincture IP Compound Cardamom Tincture IP Compound Cinchona Tincture IP Datura Tincture IP Digitalis Tincture IP Strong Ginger Tincture IP Hyoscyamus Tincture IP Ipecacuanha Tincture IP Nux Vomica Tincture IP Opium Tincture IP Camphorated Opium Tincture IP Orange Tincture IP Compound Picrorhiza Tincture IP Stramonium Tincture IP Urginea Tincture IP Valerian Ammoniated Tincture IP	Analgesic, cardiac depressant Parasympatholytic Carminative Carminative Antimalarial Parasympatholytic Cardiotonic Carminative Parasympatholytic Expectorant and Emetic Bitter stomachic Hypnotic, sedative Hypnotic, sedative Flavoring Agent Bitter stomachic Parasympatholytic Cardiotonic, expectorant Sedative	93 147 155 189 226 239 315 343 374 444 503 504 505 565 699 787 792