Oxygen present in the environment is very crucial for a lot of processes to take place, but not necessarily in a positive manner every time. Like in pharmaceutical and Food industries oxygen is not a friend but a foe. After hydrolytic degradation, oxidative degradation is one of the most common modes of degradation addressed by formulators to protect a drug. In contrast to hydrolysis, oxidative mechanisms are complex and often trigger irreversible degradation of the drug compound once initiated.
Oxygen is a well-known source of degradation in many types of pharmaceuticals. When drugs are packaged, oxygen that was trapped in the container headspace during the filling process or that enters the container from the outer atmosphere during shelf storage can cause adverse effects, most critically molecular changes leading to loss of potency. So it becomes very important to keep oxygen away from the packing.
Oxygen is a well-known source of degradation in many types of pharmaceuticals. When drugs are packaged, oxygen that was trapped in the container headspace during the filling process or that enters the container from the outer atmosphere during shelf storage can cause adverse effects, most critically molecular changes leading to loss of potency. So it becomes very important to keep oxygen away from the packing.
Oxygen scavengers, as the name suggests scavenge the oxygen from the packing environment and so protect the drugs and increase their shelf life. Oxygen scavengers contain Iron, when iron reacts with oxygen it forms a chemical called rust. The iron is oxidized and oxygen is reduced. Drugs are directly consumed by human and so their potency is of utmost importance. These oxygen scavengers are Food grade products and pose no threat to humans what so ever. They are non-toxic. A lot of new drugs are coming up in the market that are sensitive to oxygen and need to be protected from the same. Oxygen is present in the environment and not necessarily has positive effect on all the processes. Recently the need for effective oxygen absorption solutions has been intensified as the demand for increased shelf life allowing for cost optimization in drug manufacturing and distribution is increasing.
We observe growth of Aerobic microorganisms in the presence of oxygen, which cannot be good for drugs. These organisms flourish in the presence of oxygen. By using oxygen scavengers, which absorb all the oxygen, growth of such organisms is inhibited.
Oxygen scavengers are also very useful in the Food industries, where extended shelf life of products is lucrative. Fungus poses threat to food products which thrives in the presence of oxygen. So again the use of oxygen scavengers will eliminate the fungus. Also, using the oxygen scavengers eliminates the need of nitrogen flushing. Basically nitrogen is purged into packaging so as to replace oxygen, but if these oxygen scavengers are used, there is no need to perform Nitrogen flushing. Also, check: Understanding the Recycling Process of LDPE bags
Coming back to oxygen scavengers as a product, these sachets are sturdy, withstand high temperature and perform best in the pharmaceutical and food industries, contributing to the increase of shelf life of the products.
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